Of all the habits we establish, there is no habit more important to a vibrant Christian life than the habit of daily meeting with the Lord through Bible reading and prayer. If you develop and keep this habit, you are all but guaranteed a life of joy and close association with the Lord. If you fail to establish this habit, you are in all likelihood resigning yourself to a roller coaster life, where you will often find yourself feeling distant from God and others.
The Christian life is in essence a relationship. A relationship requires time and commitment. Establishing a habit is the easiest way to assure that you are investing sufficient time into your relationship with God.
When we establish the habit of meeting with the Lord every day, our relationship with the Lord has a momentum that takes a minimum effort to maintain. Yes, it often takes concerted effort to get the habit of a quiet time started, but once started the momentum of a habit builds on the previous investment of time. Then, there is much less effort required to maintain forward motion.
Those without a habit of daily meeting with the Lord have to invest energy and momentum every time they meet with the Lord. This new investment of energy required for every meeting with the Lord will tend to wear down our willingness to make the effort. It takes more will power than most of us are gifted with. The result is we take time for the Lord only in extraordinary circumstances, such as when circumstances make us so desperate for help that it overwhelms are inertia in spiritual matters or when others pull us into their spiritual activities.
But once we establish the momentum of a daily quiet time, we can use the momentum from our habit to minimize the additional energy required to maintain a walk with the Lord.
Other habits we may establish, such as going regularly to church or attending a small group, can be immensely beneficial in our Christian life. But nothing enriches and deepens our friendship with God as much as daily meeting with Him in a quiet time of Bible reading and prayer.
100% agree with you, Doug! Nothing nurtures and deepens a relationship with God better than time spent with Him in His Word on a daily basis and a walk that worships only Him. These two disciplines bring great joy to my life. Keep up the good work!