Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life!”1 God’s Word, the Bible, as well as Bible-based devotional and inspirational material like this Activated magazine, nourishes our spirit and keeps us alive and healthy spiritually. Just like we have to eat in order to have physical strength, we have to feed from the Word to have spiritual strength.

The challenge that many of us face when we sit down to read is that we’re too easily distracted by the thoughts of the day. Sometimes the answer lies in simply putting forth a little more effort. This spiritual exercise may help.

Next time you sit down to read God’s Word, imagine that Jesus is sitting next to you. Instead of merely reading the words on the page, imagine that Jesus is personally telling you these things face to face, in a personal audience with you. He is always with you in spirit, 2 but if He were with you in bodily form, if you could see Him, you would surely be hanging on His every word.

That’s how you should look at your time reading God’s Word, as a personal audience with Jesus, the King of all kings, during which He is presenting you with special words of wisdom, instruction, guidance, inspiration, and encouragement.

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“Your [God’s] words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.”—Jeremiah 15:16

1John 6:63

2Hebrews 13:5