To be honest, I don’t have a set time and place each day when I do my quiet time. I still follow the pattern I’ve followed for years, but my primary time for reading and praying is often later in the evening. I do, though, start every day with a “Verse of the Day” sent to my email inbox. Here’s why:
- It turns my heart to the things of God as soon as I wake up. I’ve learned that any time between when I awaken and when I think about God carries the potential for distraction—and the “Verse of the Day” closes that gap. It’s waiting for me when I awaken.
- I see the Word the first time I check my email each day. I want it staring me in the face before I ever start responding to emails. I need the Word more than I need an empty inbox.
- It puts me in a position to hear from God. I’m not arguing that every verse has a unique, clear application to my life each day, but I can tell you of many days when the text was exactly what I needed to hear that day.
- It gives me ammunition to fight against the devil. I don’t know about you, but the devil doesn’t take long to aim at me in the morning. I want the Word—even just a verse—in me as early as I can get it there.
- It gives me a verse to mediate on throughout the day. Whether I’m at the gym, in a grocery store line, or sitting in a doctor’s office, I can focus on this text many, many times all day long.
- It eases my self-imposed grief for not reading the Word more fully in the morning. I don’t argue that early morning devotions are the only option, but I do sometimes carry regret for not reading the Bible early each morning. This approach mitigates that grief while I look forward to reading that evening.
- It often gives me a verse to memorize for the week. In fact, I’ve learned I can memorize verses simply by reading the same one multiple times throughout the day. Read one enough times, and it becomes a part of you.
- It continually reminds me each day that I need to set aside my more intentional time to dig into the Word. As a matter of fact, reading even one verse makes me want to read more that evening. It never hurts me to read more of the Bible.
- It’s a simple way to help others start reading the Word daily. For many people, reading just one verse each day is more than they’ve ever done. All of us need to start somewhere….
I encourage you to sign up for a “Verse of the Day” program via a Google search. You won’t regret it.