In the Word: A New Plan for a New Year

What’s your plan to make an eternal investment in 2023?

I want to encourage and help you to walk with Jesus daily, strengthen your understanding of the Bible, and listen to the Lord Jesus Christ, our Great Shepherd, every day in this new year. This is a compilation of some of the greatest resources that I have used over the last several decades, and a couple of brand new ones that I look forward to using in 2023.

Before I list some devotional resources, I want to offer a few reminders and encouragements.

First, plan to personally engage in God’s Word.

Never settle for accepting what someone else offers about the Bible. Daily Bible reading, whether one chapter or passage, or multiple chapters daily, is the single best discipline for personal growth in the Christian life. From your reading, choose a verse to take with you throughout the day, and week, to meditate on.

Second, in all your reading aim to walk away with a clear, Christ-centered application.

Guard against two common expectations, reading to have an emotional experience and by asking “what must I do?” Rather, begin with “What does this passage teach me about Jesus?” and “How is it leading me to trust in Him and walk in obedience? The answers to these questions need not be long and elaborate. As a matter of fact, the simpler and more concise your response, the more likely it will lead you to remember Christ and deepen your understanding of Him and God’s will for your life, as you practice your obedience by faith.

Third, plan first to pray.

Start with a simple prayer that asks God to speak to you for understanding, clarity, and faith. Then, after you finish your reading, thank the Lord, respond to what you read, and anything you believe you sense Him saying to you. Keep a simple list of prayer needs for your life, for others, for your church, for church plants and missionaries, and for the needs that you see around you. Don’t feel like you have to pray for everything every day, but assign certain requests to specific days so everything gets covered in prayer on a regular basis.

Fourth, use a variety of resources throughout the week to encourage your heart to seek the Lord.

Consider the regular reading of hymns or psalms to encourage your heart. Consider singing at times, or listen to a song softly while you pray. Use a prayer guide like The Valley of Vision to read prayers that can guide your own prayer life. One of the best practices you can develop is your own prayer journal where you respond to your reading and record your own prayers to the Lord.

Finally, work your plan every day.

When you miss a day, pick up where you left off. If you commit to share your daily walk with one person each day it can provide a strong motivation for your faithfulness. Your daily walk with Jesus shared, whether with another brother or sister in Christ, a co-worker, neighbor or friend, will provide one of the strongest encouragements and most faithful witness to the world!

You’re going to spend a lot of time and money in 2023. Be sure to make a strong investment in eternity!

BIBLE READING PLANS

Bible Reading plans can be easy to find. Apps on our smart phones or Bible software offer plenty of good options. I offer one caution. If you use electronics for your Bible reading, guard against the distraction of drifting to email, messaging, or social media. This will always be a big temptation.

One of my long-time favorite resources for Bible reading has come from the Navigators Bible Reading Plan. You can find several great Bible reading plans on their website at https://www.navigators.org/resource/bible-reading-plans/. Basic Bible reading plans include a Chronological Reading Plan. This plan places each book of the Bible in its chronological order to read through the whole Bible in a year. A Book-by-Book Reading Plan leads you through the Bible in a year by reading through complete books. There are also Bible Reading plans that include passages from different portions of the Bible for each day from both Testaments. Here is a simple chart to read at your own pace. Whatever you do, make a plan, set a schedule for when you will work your plan every day, and make it your priority every week!

DEVOTIONAL GUIDES

Here are some of my favorite devotional guides that I have used through the years. Why should you use one of these? Devotional guides draw from the wisdom of others to help you see and understand Christ in the Scriptures. They should not be a substitute from personal Bible reading, but they can serve as a great aid in learning to read the Bible in a Christ-centered way.

Morning and Evening, by Charles Spurgeon, Revised and Updated by Alastair Begg

Truth For Life, Volume One and Volume Two, Alastair Begg

My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional, Paul David Tripp

The Journals of Jim Elliot, Edited by Elizabeth Elliot

You Are The Beloved: Daily Meditations For Spiritiual Living, Henri J. M. Nouwen

Always in God’s Hands: Day by Day in the Company of Jonathan Edwards, Owen Strachan

Walking With God, David Jeremiah

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