How do you determine your priorities? Are you choosing them, or are they choosing you? When we prioritize, we set things in place by ranking what is most important. It is not hard to verbally declare our value for something. It can, though, be challenging to demonstrate our values through our actions. What we truly value will always be demonstrated in the priorities we practice.
I cannot begin to count all of the times I have heard people make this statement, "The Word of God is the most important thing in my life." It makes me stop and wonder how many people actually make the Word of God the most important thing in their life based upon the priorities of their daily activities. It's not that we are trying to lie to ourselves or mislead anyone else, but sometimes it feels so hard to carry out this high priority. It can seem so lofty that it is unattainable. We are negligent; there's not enough time in the day, and on and on the reasons go as to why we can't seem to consistently do the one thing that is most important to us.
But the good news is that God is never judging us when we miss the mark. He does not scold us as if we are bad children. Lovingly, He provides us with grace to help navigate life and re-adjust our priorities to reflect His divine will for us.
In our fast-paced lifestyle, we will need to be creative when it comes to prioritizing our engagement with God's Word. Simply put, we will have to plan for it. Everyone gets the same 24 hours in a day. If we allocate our time with God first, then everything else will fall into place around our prioritizing of time dedicated to God. Here are some practical tips we can implement without any major prep work.
5 Ways to Prioritize the Word of God
1. Hear the Word of God daily.
With all of the technology resources available to us, we can nearly instantly access hearing the Word of God through Bible audio apps, podcasts, YouTube, and other digital platforms. We know from Romans 10:17 (NKJV), "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." One of the ways we can prioritize God's Word is to choose to listen to it. This may happen as we are getting ready for work in the morning, while driving in the car (instead of listening to music), or as part of our bedtime routine. You can also play a Bible reading track and follow along with your Bible in hand. The more we hear Scripture, the more familiar we become with it, and the more it will become a part of our vernacular.
Crosswalk Resource: Your Daily Prayer Devotional
2. Recite Scripture to commit to memory.
Growing up in Sunday School, we had something called "Scripture memory verse" and had to recite it at the beginning and end of class. I know this may sound farfetched to consider, but what if we lived in a world where there were no longer printed Bibles available? Would we have enough of God's holy, precious words inscribed on the tablets of our hearts to cling to? Psalm 119:11 (ESV) declares, "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Oh, to treasure God's Word so much that we prioritize committing it to memory!
Related article:
6 Easy Ways to Start Memorizing Scripture
3. Choose a personal Bible reading plan.
Reading the Bible does not have to be intimidating or complicated. The key is finding (or developing) the right plan that fits our needs. Consider reading one book at a time, one chapter a day. From one day's reading, you could center your prayer time, zoom in on a Scripture passage for moments of meditation, or choose one word to focus on as the overall theme from your reading. Reading the Bible is not the same as studying the Bible. It is a quicker way to interact with Scripture and still encounter the presence of God, alive and active within us. Psalm 119:18 is an excellent Scripture to pray each time we approach Bible reading. It says, "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law."
Crosswalk Resources: Bible Reading Plans; 10 Bible Reading Plans
4. Journal your experiences with the Word of God.
There is something special about writing down our Bible notes and writing out Scriptures. Yes, of course, we all have our electronic devices we can just as readily use to take notes. Whatever appeals to you, just do it so that you are interacting with the word.
Journaling is a wonderful way to record our revelations and reflections from our time engaged with the Bible. The key insights we receive from God can be captured in the stroke of a pen or clicking of the keys. Psalm 119:93 tells us, "I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life." God's Word is definitely our lifeline. When we write things down, we are also more inclined to remember them.
Journaling can be incorporated over a series of Bible readings. Don't feel rushed to get it all done in one sitting. Maybe you can start by setting a timer and journal a little at a time for a predetermined amount of time. Or maybe you may choose to journal at certain checkpoints as you read to ensure you are fully taking in the information. There is no one correct way to journal, so don't be afraid to try it. Remember, it's not about how long or how much you can write, but what you receive by inspiration of the Holy Spirit through the experience.
Related article: 7 Reasons to Start Journaling Today
5. Study the Word of God in community.
If you want to make the Word of God a priority, then consider studying in community with other believers. This is not to suggest studying the Bible with other people replaces your personal study time. Although, one sure advantage to studying Scripture in a community is that it provides accountability. Some other benefits include: having structure, having a prescribed schedule for when the study will take place, having a predetermined study curriculum, and having a dedicated time consistently carved out exclusively for the study of God's Word.
As a proponent of small groups, I believe everyone should plug into a small group at their local church. There are also virtual groups like BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) and Proverbs 31 Ministries that have excellent resources to facilitate a small group Bible study. When we are around other people who want to grow in the Word of God, it will also encourage us to want to grow in the Word of God too. Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Studying Scripture in community helps to sharpen us as we all grow in God together.
As we endeavor to prioritize the Word of God with prominence, it really comes down to ensuring we are giving God His due attention and our time. We will have to make time for the Word, but it is worth the effort we put forth. These tips are strategies that we can utilize in about thirty minutes daily and will help us intentionally prioritize God's Word. They are able to be implemented immediately, and there is no time like the present.
Related article: Benefits of Joining a Women's Bible Study
Patrice Burrell Grant is called to lead others to the grace of God, rooted in the truth of scripture. Championing women to live authentically and pursue God passionately, she aspires to live a lifestyle anchored in spiritual disciplines while cheering on other women to do the same. As a Bible teacher, she exhorts women to remember their true identity is defined in Christ, not culture. After earning her Master of Divinity degree, Patrice authored her first book, Warrior Slay, a devotional book on the power of worship and prayer. She has also written Living My Best Life, a Bible study for single women. Her latest work, Be Still My Soul, is all about cultivating the spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude in prayer through the practice of daily prayer journaling. Patrice is the founder of L.A.C.E. Legacy, a ministry established to incite the faith of Christian women who live out their legacy of faith as Ladies Anchored in Christian Excellence (L.A.C.E.), loving the legacy of faith they live. You can connect with Patrice on her blog, Warrior Woman Blog; on social media in her Facebook community, Warrior Women; @patriceburrellministries on Facebook; @patriceburrellgrant on Instagram; and @lacelegacy on her YouTube Channel, L.A.C.E. Legacy with Patrice.