There are four things you must do every day if you want to live a successful Christian life, and none of them involve giving money! Let me explain.
I began reading books when I was two years old. Does anyone else remember the first book I read, The Little Engine That Could? Reading became my window into the world. So it was only natural that, years later when I responded to the Lord’s invitation to salvation, I set a goal of reading every new Christian book published each year. I thought that would bring me closer to God.
When I checked with a librarian, she told me that more than 3,000 Christian books were being published that year alone, which meant that I would have to read more than 8 books a day just to keep up. In recent years, there are perhaps 25-50,000 Christian books and other publications being published annually. And those are just the English-language publications. Obviously, my plan was unrealistic, and I quickly abandoned it, which meant that I had to come up with a better plan. So, I did.
I decided that I would put all of my energy and attention into reading the Bible itself, to see firsthand what God has revealed for me to know. It took me several weeks to read the entire Bible the first time, starting with the Book of Genesis and reading straight through to Revelation (that’s all I did, read the Bible day and night). That initial quick read-through gave me something important: an overview of the unfolding story of redemption progressively revealed in the pages of the Old and New Testaments. I then began a more deliberate reading, completing the entire Bible many times.
As one reads the sacred text, one naturally begins to pray, especially for understanding. Prayer for understanding goes hand in hand with reading the Bible, relying on the promise from God to reward those who diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6), and he always keeps that promise. Over the years, as I have continued to focus my reading on the biblical text, I have also read selected commentaries written by men of God who have been given special insight on particular portions of the Bible. However, I always come back to the Bible as my anchor; everything else is essentially opinion.
That brings me to the point of this article. Living a successful Christian life is not a complicated affair, that is, if “successful” is defined as becoming the person God wants you to be at the same time you are becoming the person that you want to be. As you grow with body, mind, and spirit in the Lord, the two goals will eventually merge to be the same.
Be assured, one does not need to study in a seminary to be a knowledgeable Christian, one does not need to have read hundreds of Bible commentaries and books (including mine) to understand the primary message of the Bible, and, with the many excellent native-language translations available today, one does not even need to know the Hebrew and Greek of the Bible to be able to understand what God has said.
And know this, living a successful Christian life isn’t about following a checklist. It’s about maintaining an ongoing, living conversation with God. Because you are saved and united with Jesus, the Son of God, you have direct access to the Father through prayer at any time. And God will speak to you from heaven through the words of the Bible. The Holy Spirit makes this relationship personal and powerful. He carries your prayers to the Father in Jesus’ name and reveals God’s thoughts to you by explaining the mind of God through His Scriptures. This creates a two-way dialogue—your heart reaching out in prayer, and God’s truth reaching back to your heart and mind through His Word.
So open your Bible, then read with expectation while praying with honesty and trust. God is the only one you will ever know with whom you can be totally open and honest, even when you feel ashamed of your imperfections and sins, knowing that you will find understanding and compassion in response. Don’t fail to take advantage of this privilege by “hiding” things from God. You can’t, because he knows all. Instead, praise God for being a loving Father, bring all of your needs before Him, and draw near with faith in His promises as revealed in the Bible. Show your love for Him by doing your best to live according to the instructions for godly living given in His Word, which are provided for your good, not His. Walk in obedience, trusting in His promises, and you will begin to sense His presence in your life and see His blessings flow (John 14:23–26).
This link will take you to the Ligonier Ministries “Bible Reading Plans” page. You can download one of the PDF files and print out a plan to help you keep track of your daily study and meditation on the Word of God.