According to Donald Whitney in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, “No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word.”
Put in context of his writing, Whitney asserts that reading the Bible is the most important spiritual discipline for Christians. I have some other ideas–namely, that prayer is the most important discipline. Its important to read about God in the Bible and to learn from God’s Word, but is that more important than talking to God directly?
What do you think?
Comment below!
I believe both are essential in a Christian’s spiritual growth and health. That being said, what God has to say to us is more important than anything we could say to Him. Many verses of scripture can be examples, but David had this to say:
“For Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name” (Psa. 138:2).
Our prayers are as fraught with failure as we are, but the Word of God is infallible, immutable and eternal. We can fall for one of Satan’s “devices” of feeling quite spiritual about our prayer life, when in fact, we are like the talkative person to whom one listens and listens, occasionally nodding his head, but receiving little or no opportunity to “get a word in edgewise.” They do all the talking, but give little time listening to what God has to say to them.
That’s a great point, Leo! Thank you!