Rethinking Our Spiritual Meals
As Christians, we often prioritize our personal devotional time as the primary source of spiritual nourishment. However, this perspective may be misguided. What if our individual quiet time isn’t meant to be the main course?
The Church: Our Primary Source of Nourishment
The Bible doesn’t command us to have a daily quiet time. Instead, it emphasizes the importance of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). Scripture also shows that God’s words are often directed to His gathered people, not just individuals.
Feasting on God’s Word Together
On Sundays, we gather as a church to feast on God’s nourishing Word. We sing it, pray it, read it, and hear it preached. These collective activities nourish our souls for the week ahead. We’re not just individuals seeking personal growth; we’re a community delighting in God’s gospel of grace together.
Singing God’s Word
When we sing, we’re letting God’s Word nourish our souls (Col. 3:16). We’re encouraging each other, memorizing great truths, and offering collective praise to God.
Praying God’s Word
During pastoral prayers, we engage with God’s Word, making it our own. We receive corporate prayers as a gift, letting them nourish our souls with truth.
Reading God’s Word
As we pause our busy lives to receive Scripture, we breathe in God’s breathed-out words. We hear, believe, and are washed with the cleansing, life-giving words of God.
Hearing God’s Word Preached
God serves us His Word through our pastors. We receive a life-giving, carefully crafted meal – from God’s mouth, through our pastor’s mouth, straight to our souls.
A New Perspective
The next time you feel discouraged about your personal quiet time, remember the previous Sunday at church. Breathe a sigh of relief and praise. You’ve consumed God’s Word, feasting on its abundance alongside God’s gathered people. Your soul has been truly nourished. Over time, your appetite for God’s words will grow, and your hunger for Him will be satisfied.
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