In my video blog today I ask the question "do you think temptation might be getting you off course with your Bible reading?" Now when that question was first posed to me, my mind immediately jumped to the "big" temptations and my response was "no." A little later, though, I realized that my answer had to be "yes." Why? Well I started thinking about when I don't read my Bible and what keeps from it. Wanna know what I came up with? They're pretty lame but here goes--watching television, sleeping in, doing e-mail, sometimes even doing "work" for church. These are obviously temptations to me because I'm choosing to do them over reading God's Word. :(
Alright, I shared some things that I can let hinder my reading, so how about you? I'm curious to hear what gets in the way of your Bible reading. Now don't worry. No one is perfect. So take a look. I think you'll be glad you did. Tami W.
P.S. Here are a couple of Scripture passages that you might find helpful. Psalm 119:11; 2 Cor. 10:3-6; James 1:19-25.
:) Well, I have to admit that today's topic is a great one and I can totally one million percent relate to you. Probably my biggest temptation that interferes with my bible reading is clearly the Internet....that and working from home. It is TOTALLY easy for me to run to this box before anything else and then do everything else later. E-mail, blogging, writing articles, charting my notes etc....it's all online in some form.
So one thing that I have started to do is go to every scripture that is sent to me through BTTB and of course, try to focus more time in the Word on this screen than any other thing.....but I have to say that I'm a news junkie.....so that gets me. Augh....
A big temptation for me is to clean my house, I always say I will read my bible after I get the house picked up but something else will come up, and the next thing I know it's mid-afternoon and I'm still cleaning house.
I am so happy to join you today. This is my first visit to this website. It's really a blessed day because the comments i read reflect my mind on the temptations that keep me away from reading my bible.
I felt very much guilty when i realised that my Office work and house work are my temptations. As from today am going to schedule myself and spare time for the word of God. I strongly believe God will direct and help me. Please pray for me i will surely get back to you with positive result.
Thanks very much and God bless you
I have so many excuses that I can come up with for not stopping and reading the Bible. I was embarrassed when I began thinking about it. Yesterday, I said I did read the Bible. I went to church, I read scripture in Sunday School and both morning and evening worship. Saturdays it is spending time with my family before my husband has to leave for work. (He works nights and has been on 6 day weeks for the past 6 months) During the week I put work ahead of it, or I need the extra time in the morning for sleep, but for me this excuse really caught my attention. I am a relatively new christian, but I try to read during the day at work to help encourage me to serve God and shine. I get "nervous" about what others will think if they come up to my desk and I have my Bible open. THAT's AWFUL. Well that just changed. Thanks so much for Powered by 4. It encourages me to read more and more and more.
I used to have a good habit of meeting with God in the early morning. Then I found myself on midnights (on and off) along with some serious health issues that for a time left me without the ability to swallow. I am still having health issues to the point of giving up trying to struggle to live, but having graduated from hospice and continuing to perservere; God has given me back my coffee time with Him.
I can list a lot of temptations (more realistically excuses). The main one for me is technology along with my stubborness to make things work. I like my little electronic gadgets that are supposed to help me with my time but each one requires time to learn how to use it, trouble shoot it...get it to function properly. When one of the several electronic "tools" malfunctions I loose an enourmous amount of time fiddling with it to make it work right. I know now that satan uses those things to distract me, frustrate me and keep me out of God's Word while my time fritters away. I just signed up for P4 on Friday to help me keep focus and be helped to rekindle my love for God and his Word in my life...so I can keep on keeping on. So, its now my coffee, my hard print bible, notebook and pencil (and truth be told my PDA with my NEW daily emails from BttB on it!)
As I have been encouraged by your comments, may God grant us success as we strive to keep Him first in our hearts and lives. I really liked the comment on todays study on temptation about winning the day, today. Like manna, may God's grace help us to Win this day to His honor and for His glory.
I have been reading the blog everyday. It makes me realize that I am not alone. My worst habit is putting off things till later and then not getting around to it. I am still not up to 4 times a week, 2-3 I am trying.
My saving grace has been P4; which I thank the Lord for. Since signing up I receive two morning devotionals, which I read every morning (I have missed two or three), then before bed I read the daily reading.
I am not perfect, but, thankfully the Lord knew what would get me reading and I finally was obedient to His calling. So when I do miss a day, I feel it deep in my heart and mind. I ask for His forgiveness and get back on track.
I pray for the Lord's grace and mercy to cover each of us and for His Holy Spirit to prompt and move us to do His will!!!!
I have to admit, my temptations were very big about a week ago. We, me and my husband, were planning on going for a trip to (USA Tennessee), leaving on the 25th of last month, but i still had to work that day yet. I noticed that almost everything broke down that day at work, which I started to get really angry and upset, suddenly it came to my mind, why am I so angry at all? I don't have to be this angry. I have somebody else who will take care of EVERYTHING, and then everything will be OK. I started to rather pray about it, and trusting the Lord, that He would take care of it, I was talking to Him over loud, it maybe sounded very funny, but I didn't care. I realized that Satan tried to hold me down, so that I wouldn't even get ready for going on our trip. Since we live in Manitoba Canada, we had a very long trip ahead of us. By the way, we did have a very good trip. We are so blessed, I took my BIBLE along, and I did read my Bible everyday, so I would still feed my Soul with God's Word.
As you can see, Satan is the bigtime loser.
Christ the Lord is the WINNER. HALLELUA
WELL GLORY. A famous statement my pastor's wife used when God really touched her. I came back to read the comments and I was just praised God for everyone who submitted a post. I found that I am not alone and that God has support out there for people like me. I am enjoying learning what God has to say and learn more and more about His word.
Hi everyone--Tami here. First off, I want to say thanks to each of you who have responded so far to this week's blog. I appreciate you having the courage to take an up close look at your habits and then your honesty in sharing it with others. Not always easy to do.
I love, too, that as each of you are writing, you are being an encourager because it lets us know that we are not alone in our Christian walk and struggles. Satan will do anything he needs to distract us and get us off course. So connecting with others who are part of P4 is at least one way to help keep us focused on God and His Word. You gotta love it! So hang in there with your readings and keep writing! Tami W.
My temptations....sleep, eat, TV, etc. You name it. My main problem though are the distractions. It seems when I start to do my study the cats will jump on me or start playing with their toys, the phone will ring, my husband decides he wants to be in the same room as me which means he wants to turn on the radio or TV. Satan works overtime to keep us distracted from God.
Well i guess for me it is just that i keep saying that i will read later. but then later comes and i am still saying the same. another thing i like to say is, "When it gets quiet i will spend time in God's word." but yet i still don't. so that is why i am thankful for p4. i am going to try to read more now. because when i SIGNED UP I GOT very sick and couldn't do any more.
In my first comment i promised to get back with positive result and indeed my gracious God has done it for me. I use to read my bible in haste and as a result i will not understand anything. When i came in contact with powered by 4 on the 4th of August i felt so guilty and i decided to make a schedule. I chose Tuesdays and Wednesdays to read in my office very early in the morning and you know what it is really working. I read the bible understands it well and one thing i noticed about myself these two days is that i flow in the word and even preach to myself while reading. It was really great. I have also chosen Saturdays and Sundays to read very early in the morning before engaging my self in any house work. I know it will work please continue to pray for me. I am happy for powered by 4 God bless you and to God be the glory.
I have been using a Daily Walk Bible and reading through the bible for several years, although took a few off, and got stagnant. I started again last year and still going through this year. I read early in the morning, but confess I fight a wondering mind, even when I have prayed for the Lord to speak to me through his word. I am enjoying the reading and questions from Powered by 4. Thank you very much for this wonderful ministry and encouragement to read the word. God Bless, Ruth
I have started reading the bible in the mornings in my dining room overlooking the valley or sitting on the deck. In both places, I have pets who are distracting (I'm an animal lover). They need to be fed, watered, need their medication, or the cats don't like each other and spit at each other! I also can't get to the computer in the morning because it's in the same room as our 19 year son sleeps in and teens sleep in. Those are my distractions, but I'm working around them. The pets can wait a few minutes while I have a few minutes with God. I'm already recognizing God's work in my life!
I have tried reading my Bible at various times during a day, but I really think the best time for me is shortly before I go to bed. I love reading God's word before I go to work, but for some reason, I don't feel like I absorb the message as well because in the back of my mind I keep thinking, "O.K., Laurie, you've only got 20 minutes before you have to leave for school," and then I keep watching the clock. If I really want to gain an understanding, I don't want to feel a time restraint. Maybe that's Satan's way of distracting me, I don't know. I do have a devotion before leaving home, (usually Woodrow's "Early in the Morning Devotion") but it's not as in depth as PB4. I love the challenge the questions present. Thanks, Tami!
I am realizing more and more that I can make better use of my time. For example, I can read the Bible on the bus going to and/or from work. This is good use of my time and keeps me focused.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that has difficulty in reading God word. I let every thing get in my way instead of putting God first. I know the solution. take time for God
I am thankful for P4. My struggles with my sins and temptations lead me far from Christ, but P4 pulls me back in. I too, read the "words" in the bible, but P4 challenges me to think about the content AS WELL AS the context.
Hi I am new to P4. After reading all the comments I realize that I am not alone in my struggles when it comes to spending time in the word. My biggest temptation when it comes to reading the word is procrastination. The intent is there but I can never seem to get it done. Something always get in the way. Whether it is watching television, surfing the internet, school work etc. I keep saying to myself I am going to do it the next thing I know the day has ended and it does not get done.
I am new to P4 as well. I love to read my bible with all my heart, but life seems to always pop in the way. I think I will do it later and then as someone else said, the day as ended and it does not get done. I heard someone once say...don't you feed your belly three times a day when you get hungry?? So shall you feed your soul! Let's pray for eachother that Satan stays on the sidelines and we take the initiative to feed our souls! We are not alone!!
My temptation that gets in the way of my bible time is my schedule of time with family, work, unplanned happenings, re-scheduling. Watching my time so it doesn't get away from me, tired so I put it at the end of my time then it might or might not materialize. Checking e-mails then going to other web sites. Trying to get as much as I can done to make it easier for tomorrow and then that doesn't happen. Giving into just sitting or laying down and telling myself that in order to recooperate I just need to sit and do nothing but that nothing is watching tv or just listening to the radio. Not keeping myself rested or trying to do to much for others.