Make personal prayer a part of your daily routine. I’m not talking about a family prayer. I don’t mean just giving thanks before meals. I mean a meaningful conversation between you and the Lord every day. You brush your teeth every day don’t you? You wash your hair? You take a shower? Why can’t you make prayer a part of your schedule? Is it less important than other matters of personal hygiene? Make it happen. Make it a habit.

Make the Bible the first thing you read every day. We suffer from information glut in our day. We know too much, too fast, too often, too long, too young. Unfortunately, the bindings on our old Bibles look new while the buttons on our new remotes and Play Stations look old. It ought not to be. Before you read the paper, read your Bible. Before you watch the news, read your Bible. If you don’t do it first, you probably won’t do it. So do it first. Do it now.

Make a spirited public worship service your personal responsibility. Don’t just switch into autopilot when you come to the services. Don’t just bed down for an hour. Worship is work. Not just the work of those who lead the prayers, the songs, the Supper, the studies and exhortations. Whether we stand in the pulpit or sit in the pew, it is our task to show the Lord what he’s worth to us. Worship ought to be a sacrifice, a sincere labor of love and devotion. Does yours qualify?

We can do better. I can do better. Let’s do it together, ok?