Key Sydney Anglicans agree that reading the Bible is more important than ever, but the latest Australian Church Life Survey (2001) says that only 31 per cent of us manage to read it more than once a week.
And prayer: why is talking to our Maker so hard? And when we do pray, why is it so easy for our prayers to be completely self-centred?
As 2007 kicks off, we ask Archbishop Peter Jensen and other key Sydney Anglicans whether it’s time for a mission-minded church to make a New Year’s resolution to reconnect with God in daily Bible-reading and prayer.
Archbishop Peter Jensen says that most people find it hard to make Bible reading and prayer a regular part of their lives.
Our busy lifestyles and even our heavy involvement in Christian ministry mean that time spent with God in prayer and meditation on his word can be squeezed out.
Gordon Cheng, Editor at Matthias Media, says that we shouldn't be surprised that "quiet times' can be difficult.
"The Bible says it’s normal to find it hard to be a Christian," he says.
"If we find it’s not we should check our pulse and look "round for angels and harps, because we’ve died and gone to heaven."
So what's the solution?
A lack of routine, amongst other things, can be the enemy of the "quiet time'.
Dr Jensen says that we need to set a regular, valued time for Bible reading and prayer.
"Whatever time you choose, try to discipline yourself to stick to it!" he says. "And when you fail, don't give up!"
Claire Smith from St Clements, Mosman, says that there is no definitive, addictive, "cure-all' Bible-reading method.
Getting your "quiet times' back on track, she says, is just like changing any other ingrained habit.
"You need to want to make the change and you need to "just do it'," she says.
"If you wait for the ideal moment, it won't happen. If you're expecting that it's going to be easy, or that you'll make the turn around without slipping every now and then, it won't happen!"
Where should I start?
"Anywhere!" Claire says. "It's all God's word! Having said that I suspect reading a gospel is more accessible, for example, than reading Jeremiah; or that Acts has more resonance for us than Leviticus."
She says it's important not to set the bar too high.
"Don't expect to read three chapters a day, just go for chunks that are manageable and provide the context."
Dr Jensen suggests Bible reading aids like Don Carson's For the love of God or John Stott's Through the Bible Through the Year.
Gordon recommends Matthias Media's Daily Reading Bible " a slim booklet with printed daily passages and study questions.
Mission-focused prayer
"The priorities we have determine what we are praying for," says Dr Jensen.
"So, if your greatest desire is to see people coming to faith in Jesus, that will influence your prayers. As you pray in that way, you will find your prayers leading you into action."
Claire says that it is essential to try and see things as God sees them.
"That is, to see all people - myself included - as sinners in need of mercy; everything that happens as happening under the sovereign love and rule of God; and everything I do and anyone else does, in the light of the last day."
New Year’s Resolutions?
Dr Jensen says that a good starting point for the New Year might be to echo the words of the Apostle Paul: "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."
But, he warns, New Year's resolutions are never easy to keep.
"Whatever resolution you choose, remember to ask for God’s help in keeping it."
Keen to get your ‘quiet times’ back on track? Any other hopes or dreams for your spiritual life? Discuss what’s been helpful and get some advice from Gordon Cheng at the ‘New Year’s Resolutions?’ forum.
