Just as good food is essential for physical health, we must nourish our spirits in order to stay healthy and grow spiritually. We do that by reading or listening to the Bible and other faith-building material.

  1. Pick a time and duration.

Try setting aside at least 20 minutes daily for spiritual feeding through reading God’s Word. It is difficult to get much out of this time if you don’t spend at least that long taking in and reflecting. If you aren’t able to fit it in daily, then try three or four days each week. Whatever you decide, make it a specific goal. It will be easier to follow through if you establish a definite time slot and make it part of your routine.

  2. Find a place.

Find a quiet place to read where you will not be interrupted or distracted. You also might want to turn off your cell phone and stay away from your email.

  3. Decide what to read.

It’s good to make a plan of what to read over a period of time, such as working your way through a book of the Bible or a devotional book, but be flexible. Some days, Jesus may direct you to something different.

  4. Pray before you read.

Ask Jesus to help you concentrate and have an open heart so you can get as much as possible from this time. “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law” (Psalm 119:18).

  5. Read the Word carefully, prayerfully, and thoughtfully.

If you were to gulp down a meal as fast as you could, you wouldn’t get as much out of that food or enjoy it as much as you would by eating slower. The same principle applies to your spiritual food. To be nourished spiritually, you must take time to absorb what you read.

  6. Apply what you read.

When you’re reading, often a certain point will stand out. You may have read the same passage before without grasping its meaning, but suddenly it comes to life and you understand how the spiritual principles apply to you personally.

  7. Put what you read into action.

The only way you can really experience the power of the Word of God is by doing what it says to do. “Be doers of the Word,” the Bible admonishes us, “and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). And Jesus Himself promised, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:17).

  8. Keep a “spiritual diary.”

Copy key points or passages from what you read into a special notebook for future reference, and make note of how it applies to you. Putting your thoughts about what you read into words serves two purposes: It crystallizes the lessons and reinforces them in your mind so you will be more likely to remember them when opportunities to apply them arise. You can also use this diary to record spiritual lessons and turning points or milestones in your relationships with Jesus and others that aren’t necessarily connected to your times of spiritual feeding.

  9. Memorize.

For better or worse, whatever we take in through our senses, consciously or unconsciously, by choice or by chance, has an effect on our thinking and thus on our actions. But we can each choose what we want to change and motivate us most, and focus on that. If you want that to be God’s Word, commit to memory key Bible verses or points you come across in your times of spiritual feeding. Pray for those things to override all the rest—everything from advertising jingles to ungodly attitudes and bad habits—and do your part by filtering your intake when possible. “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). Scriptures that you’ve memorized will also be a source of comfort and strength in times of trouble or decision, as well as provide help and answers to share with others in need.

  10. Don’t be overly concerned if you don’t understand something.

It is said that Augustine of Hippo (354–430 ad) hit on this principle once when he was greatly perplexed about a particular aspect of faith. While walking by the seashore, he saw a little boy with a seashell repeatedly running to the water’s edge, filling the shell with water, and pouring it into a hole in the sand. When Augustine asked what he was doing, the boy explained matter-of-factly that he was putting the ocean in the hole. “That is what I am trying to do,” Augustine realized. “Standing on the shores of time, I am trying to get into this little finite mind of mine things which are infinite.” Remember that the next time you come across something in your reading that you don’t understand. If God wants you to understand that thing, He will reveal it to you in His time. Meanwhile, accept it by faith.

  11. Don’t worry about all the details of Bible history and geography.

History and geography can be interesting, but spiritual principles are of far greater value. For example, when we read the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, we see a pattern of love in action that we know we should try to follow; or when we read the Psalms and other devotional passages, we can apply thoughts and principles found there to our own prayers.  

  12. Spice it up.

If you’re new to Bible study, the Gospel of John is a great place to start, as it contains more words of Jesus than any other Gospel. The four Gospels, Psalms, and Proverbs are the most read (and most frequently reread) devotional books of all time, but don’t stop there. Branch out. Variety is the spice of life—and a key to making your times of spiritual feeding a can’t-miss daily high point.  

This article was adapted from 12 Foundation Stones, a course for getting to know and live God’s Word. If you’d like to take this course, contact a branch of The Family International at one of the addresses on page 2.

The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.—Dwight L. Moody