When The Bible Comes Alive

Have you ever read your Bible only to feel like you accomplished nothing? 

Maybe a fleeting inspiration, a nice quote to carry you through the day. But then, hours later, it’s gone. No transformation. No traction. Just another passage forgotten in the rush of life. If you've been there, you’re not alone. But that isn’t how it’s meant to be. God has more for you. You don’t need to settle.

The Bible is not a natural text; it’s supernatural.

Jesus said, “The very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” - John 6:63 (NLT)

If we approach Scripture as mere literature, we might glean a little encouragement, but we’ll miss the power - the very power that breaks habits, changes character, and ignites a holy fire within. That power comes only when the Word is received in the spirit, not just the intellect.

Matthew 13 tells us the parable of the sower. The seed, which represents the Word of God, only bears lasting fruit when it falls on “good soil.” Jesus explains that this “good soil” is the person who truly hears and understands the Word (Matthew 13:23, NLT). But many never get there. Why? Because they read the Bible without the help of the precious Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT) says, “But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them… For only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.”

Without the Holy Spirit, Scripture remains locked. But when you read with Him, He opens your eyes. You’re no longer reading about God. You’re fellowshipping with Him.

Then there’s the issue of depth. Some believers start strong but fall away when trials hit. Why? Shallow roots. And shallow roots grow from shallow study. A verse of the day is a great start, but it’s not the destination. You need consistency. Obsession. A love for the Word that drives you to take in much of it daily, not out of guilt, but out of hunger.

Finally, beware the thorns. Distraction will kill your devotion. Jesus said the Word is choked by the worries of life and the lure of wealth (Matthew 13:22). So slow down. Meditate. Read slowly, think deeply, and repeat the Word out loud. Absorb it.

This isn’t about checking a box. This is about transformation. It’s about reading until your heart burns, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:32).

Don’t just study Scripture. Receive it. Cherish it. Meditate on it. And let it set your spirit ablaze.

For more about this topic, watch “You'll Never Read the Bible the Same Way After This,” on YouTube by clicking here.

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How to Speak with Power and Authority

I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. (Mark 11:23, NLT)

What incredible power the Lord has given to us. There is power in your words. When you, by faith, declare a thing, it is so. But from where does that power come? Are we able to simply will anything we desire into existence? Concerning what we speak in prayer, this is what the Scripture says:

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: (1 John 5:14, KJV)

As we should, we celebrate the reality of our ability to “ask anything”, but we mustn’t forget “according to his will.”

We have the tendency to stray into superstition. Indeed, many believers live under the bondage of superstition. Perhaps you have heard the threatening phrases: “Don’t speak that! There’s power in your words. Be careful what you say; you might speak death upon yourself.”

And while I am fully committed to speaking life over myself and those around me, I don’t live ruled by the paranoia of unintentional curses.

Is there power in our words? Yes. Can we declare things to be so? Certainly. Do our words affect us and our situations in profound ways? Absolutely. But you can thank God for the limitations that He has placed within the power of our Words.

When God speaks, He speaks with unquestionable, unlimited authority. When we speak, we have the authority “according to his will.” When God speaks, He creates. When we speak, we shape. And aren’t you glad that not everything you declare manifests as reality? God speaks as the Creator. You and I speak as influencers, shapers of the creation. We cannot will worlds into existence, but we can will worlds into alignment with God’s Word.

For example, a police officer cannot legally come to your house and rob you of your valuable possessions. If he attempted to even enter the premises, he would legally need a warrant. If for some unfortunate reason he decided to step outside of the law and rob you, he would legally need to return whatever was taken, even if he wore a badge and claimed authority while robbing you. You see, the police officer has been given the power to enforce the law, not his own will. The law limits his authority. He can only make demands, as far as the law allows.

In the same sense, we are given power in our words according to God’s will and Word. We can declare healing, deliverance, salvation, and blessing. Why? Because that’s God’s will. You cannot expect your words to have power if they contradict God’s Word or if they are born of your own will. We cannot simply will anything we desire into existence, because the power is not in human will. We can speak, but God must first will.

When we obey God, we position ourselves in a place of authority and our words become as certain as the will of God itself. Our authority comes from submission to God’s authority. When we submit to that authority, we align ourselves with the power of Heaven. The power in our words comes from our obedience to His Word. Therefore, speaking in faith does not obligate God, it positions us.

You’ve heard it said, “We can speak things into existence.” However, perhaps it might be more helpful, more accurate even, to say, “We speak things into order.” If something contradicts the Word or will of God, we can speak it into order. We can command all things to bend to the will of God.

The power of your words is directly proportional to the depth of your surrender.

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8 Effects of Living in God's Word

There are many benefits to knowing and living the Word of God. Here are 8 examples.

#1 You’ll walk free from sin

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

#2 You’ll prosper in all you do

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Joshua 1:8

#3 You’ll walk in truth

Truth arms you to walk free of many kinds of deception. You’ll walk free from self-deception.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22

You’ll walk free from demonic deception.

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 1 Timothy 4:1

#4 You’ll walk in faith

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Romans 10:17

#5 You’ll walk in Wisdom

The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. Psalm 119:130

#6 You’ll walk in peace

Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Psalm 119:165

#7 You’ll walk in strength

My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word. Psalm 119:28

#8 You’ll walk in vulnerability toward God

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12

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