As 2007 kicks off, many Sydney Anglicans are taking the opportunity to get back on track with God in regular Bible-reading and prayer.

sydneyanglicans.net spoke to Claire Smith, Chair of the Diocesan Mission’s working group on culture, about her New Year’s resolution to pray more together with her family.


In what circumstances have you found it hardest to maintain good Bible reading habits and a healthy prayer life?

The most difficult times to maintain good Bible reading habits/healthy prayer life (or the sort of prayer life I want) are times when the usual routine of my life is interrupted.

I'm thinking of times like holidays, school holidays, moving house and so on.

Perhaps this is more a statement about my personality than anything, but I find one of the strongest influences on my regular reading of the Bible and prayer life is my daily routine: where Bible reading and prayer are an established part of my routine; as normal and expected as going for a walk every morning, making the bed, cleaning my teeth: things I do every day, at about the same time every day.

From your experience, do you have any tips for those who feel their "quiet times' have gone off the rails?

Getting your "quiet times' back on the rails, I think, is like any major or minor life change (think: quitting smoking; starting a diet; starting an exercise regime; stopping biting your fingernails; turning off the TV a bit earlier).

You need to want to make the change and you need to "just do it'. If you wait for the ideal moment " oh, I'll put it off till next week which isn't so busy " it won't happen.

If you're looking for an easy cure-all (the definitive addictive Bible study method) 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!

And if you're expecting to get a huge emotional/spiritual high from the first attempt, it most likely won't happen.

Just start where you are, start small, and start now! And remember, God's strength is sufficient!

How can we be mission-minded in our prayer life?

I'd say four things help me be mission-minded in my prayer life.

1) As much as possible see things the way God sees them. That is see all people " myself included " as sinners in need of mercy; everything that happens (or needs to happen) 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.

2) to make sure that I'm in contact with unbelievers and trying to share Christ with them (and pray for them and for opportunities to share Christ with them);

3) to make sure that I'm following the world/local news (nothing makes me pray more for the spread of the gospel, than seeing first hand the effects of sin and unbelief);

4) to keep up to date with ministries here and elsewhere where I can see God's work advancing.

If we are not reading the Bible, where should we start?

I think the obvious answer to the question is "anywhere'. It's all good " after all, 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. I think it's important too, not too set the bar too high " so don't expect to read three chapters a day, just go for chunks that are manageable and that provide the context, but don't require an hour to read and don't swamp you with the volume.

When it comes to your own spiritual life, do you have a new year's resolution?
As a family we've decided we want to pray together more often. As it is we've generally read the Bible and other Christian books after dinner, but we feel we should also be using that time to pray together.

For more ideas, read the feature or join in the discussion.