Spending time in God’s Word is always beneficial. But sometimes you might feel like you just don’t know what to do. You know you should read. You know you should pray. But how? What does a realistic plan look like? Here I want to give you a sample schedule for how to spend an hour in God’s Word.

Preparing (5 minutes)

Get everything you will need ready. Here’s a list of what you will need:

• Bible: Make sure you have a paper copy of the Bible. Using your phone is not recommended. It’s too distracting. In fact, I would turn off your phone or turn it to Airplane mode for the hour. 
• Pen and pad/journal: Writing structures your thoughts and can provide clarity. You’re going to want a space to engage with God’s Word. Any piece of paper and any pen will do, but I recommend using a Moleskin notebook and good quality pens like a Pilot G2.
• Water and/or coffee: If you are fasting for the hour, you’ll probably want something to sip on while you read and write.
• An undistracted place: Find a place where you won’t be disturbed. You may not be able to find it in your office. You can sit in your car for the hour. Or you could drive to a nearby coffee shop. The number one biggest factor in not being distracted is to turn off your phone. 

Reading (15 minutes)

Read a portion of the Bible for fifteen minutes. I would suggest either the Gospel of Mark or the book of Romans. It doesn’t matter whether you read five verses or five chapters. The point is to focus on what you’re reading. Read slowly and methodically.

Reflecting (15 minutes)

After you have read, go back over the passages and mark down in your journal answers to the following questions. Don’t give up. Use ALL 15 minutes. Your best insights will probably come in minutes fourteen or fifteen.

• What do these passages teach me about God? List all of the character qualities and actions of God you’ve read about.
• How do these verses/chapters expose my sin? We are not God. Seeing God for who he really is exposes our sin. Examine yourself.
• How do these verses/chapters show me Jesus? All Scripture is about Christ and should lead us to Christ. Without him, we would be stuck in our sins and lead to despair. Spend time lifting up Jesus and seeing how his person and work provides forgiveness for us.
• What commands do I need to obey? Now in Christ, we can live a new kind of life empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Reading (10 minutes)

Read another portion of the Bible for fifteen minutes. Continue on in whatever book you started with.

Reflecting (10 minutes)

Ask the same four questions and write down your answer.

Prayer (5 minutes)

Spend the last five minutes praying to God. Use the answers to your questions to pray for through the A.C.T.S. prayer guide.

• Adoration: Praise God for who he is and what he has done.
• Confession: Confess your sins to God that he exposed through reading the Word.
• Thanksgiving: Thank Jesus for his great grace and any other qualities you wrote down.
• Supplication: Pray for any specific needs or requests that are on your mind. Ask for his help in living out the truths you read and thought about.