I once talked with a young man on the radio who had just made a decision I deeply respected. He was going to start reading his Bible every single day, starting tomorrow.
I was genuinely encouraged. So I asked him: “What passage will you start with?”
He paused. “I don’t know. I was just going to flip it open and see what jumps out.”
I appreciate his desire because desire matters. But it’s a very unintentional approach to a very intentional decision. And I think it describes many of us. We want to grow; we know God’s Word matters, but we haven’t thought through how we’re actually going to engage with it.
Start with What You’ve Already Been Given
The Bible tells us “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17 NKJV). It requires showing up, opening the book, and letting God speak.
If you’re new to reading scripture or returning to it after a long absence:
- Start with the book of John in the New Testament.
- Read slowly.
- Ask God to teach you.
- When you hit something you don’t understand, take a breath and keep going.
- Don’t let confusion be the reason you quit.
And if you’ve been reading for years, do you have a verse? Do you have one that keeps you anchored when everything else feels uncertain?
A listener once shared hers with me: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6 NKJV). She said it had been the compass of her life for decades.
- Find a verse like that.
- Write it down.
- Live with it long enough for it to get down deep in your heart.
The Practice of Conversation
Prayer isn’t complicated. I want to say that plainly, because we can make it harder than it needs to be. Prayer is simply a conversation with God.
As a Christ follower, He’s your constant companion, present with you at every moment. So it makes complete sense to talk to Him just as I would talk to someone I trust completely.
Hebrews 4:16 is an open invitation to “Come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (NKJV).
Bring your gratitude, your confusion, your hope, your questions, your need. Prayer helps you receive God’s perspective. It calms your heart. It keeps your relationship with Him active and real. And that’s really what He desires from you.
The Decision to Grow
You and I will become as spiritual as we decide to be. Nothing is keeping you from a vibrant, alive faith. God does the saving. We do the growing. And growing takes intention.
Galatians 5:17 tells us plainly that “What your corrupt nature wants is contrary to what your spiritual nature wants, and what your spiritual nature wants is contrary to what your corrupt nature wants. They are opposed to each other. As a result, you don’t always do what you intend to do” (GW). That’s why growth requires a decision.
Three things make your decision to grow real:
- Know what God expects. That means time in His Word — not to check a box, but to understand what it looks like to follow Him in your actual life.
- Understand what you need to do. Listen for how the Holy Spirit wants to apply truth in your life. He speaks specifically, personally. Pay attention.
- Do enough to experience growth. Intention without action stays theory. Take one step.
First Peter 2:2–3 puts it simply: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (ESV). Healthy things grow when they are fed. Feed your faith with truth. Strengthen it through prayer. Exercise it through obedience.
An intentional Christian is a Christ follower who actually follows. Not perfectly, not without struggle but forward. One step, one verse, one honest prayer at a time.
What’s the one thing you’ll do today to invest in your relationship with God?
Start with Jesus
Your relationship with Jesus grows one day at a time. Our Start with Jesus YouVersion plan offers 50 days of scripture, reflection, and prayer to help you hear His voice, stay close to His heart, and walk with Him in a more personal way. If you’re ready to reconnect, grow deeper, and build your life on the foundation that holds, begin here: Start with Jesus on YouVersion
