Monday, 11th July, 2016.
Scripture Reading: 2 Tim 4:13
Memory verse for the week: Prov. 6:6
“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.”
How to develop a good healthy reading culture:
- Analyze your reading habit
You need to analyze and evaluate your present reading conditions by asking and answering vital questions. Answer the following questions: Do I read at all? How often do I read? Do I plan my reading or just read anyhow? Is what I have been reading beneficial to me? Is my reading limited to one area or diverse? Your answers to these questions will help you get started.
- Create time for reading
To develop a reading culture, you have to schedule time for reading, because it takes discipline to develop this culture. If you are serious about developing this culture, it will not be a matter of having time but of creating time. If you don’t create time for reading, you will never have time for it. Discipline yourself to always read daily, no matter how small. Set a goal for yourself and work towards achieving the goal.
- Balance your reading
Balance is the key of life. One therefore needs balance even in the development of a reading culture. You need to be current and versatile by knowing a little about a variety of issues. Don’t limit your reading to only one part of life. Your Bible should be the number one book you cannot do without. Read it day and night (Joshua 1:8).Also, read about culture, nations, politics, people, places, plants, sea and wild animals, academic and Christian literatures.
- Respond to your reading
It is not just okay to read a book, it is also vital that you respond to the book spiritually, physically and mentally. To respond effectively to your reading means to decide to act on and utilize the information you get from it in a positive way.
- Know what to read and what not to read.
Thousands of books are published and released daily all over the world, and even if you read one book per day, you can never exhaust all the books on earth. So it is very vital that you choose what you read. Do not read pornographic books, erotic magazines, and other demonic books. Don’t open your life to foul spirits. Be warned! One can be a master chef if that individual is eager to read loads of cooking books. One can be a good scientist if that person is eager to read other scientist work. The more one reads the better polished sword one becomes.
Finally, it is important to go to a leading bookstore and/or online e-book store for new updates regularly. Do not forget to build your own library. A book worth reading worth buying.
ACTION WORD: DISCIPLINE & STRATEGY IS NEEDFUL TO BECOMING A BALANCED READER.
PRAYER POINT:
- Spirit of knowledge, fall upon my life in Jesus name.