When I was a senior in college I became very seriously ill. I was admitted to the hospital in the sub-intensive care unit with blood clots in my lungs. I don't remember much about that long first night in the hospital except that I was in terrible shape. My roommate was frantic. When she asked me what I needed, all I asked for was my old Bible, the one I had been given as a right of passage in Sunday School. In the wee hours of that morning, I remember lying in bed, hooked up to everything imaginable. I was told to move as little as possible. I watched the lights blink on one of the machines and rubbed my thumb across the gold embossed cross on the old leather cover of the Bible. Down and across. Down and across. Weeks later when I was finally released to begin the long process of recovering my strength, again I wanted to carry the Bible in my lap in my wheel chair. That was all I knew to do. I somehow sensed that the Bible would be my long time companion in whatever life brought, but I had no idea how to use it. I had been taught to read my Bible daily but not taught how. It took me years to find ways that worked for me. Following are a few of those ways.

Using the Bible devotionally cannot be a hit or miss endeavor. Just as with any friendship, time and priority are a must for developing a relationship that is rich, nuanced and will stand the test of time. Make a commitment to yourself and to God that you will spend devotional time with Scripture daily for one month. That will give you time to get into the habit. Choose a time of day that works for you. For many, first thing in the morning works best even if we need to get up a little early to have the time and quiet necessary. I hate getting up in the morning, but I have learned to love being up with Christ more.

Set aside one half hour, if at all possible. Choose a place where you will go each day for your time with God. A comfortable chair with good lighting, a throw for chilly mornings, a small table for a cup of coffee or tea, good light and soft music can help you prepare for meeting God in your devotional time. I always light a candle to remind myself of Christ's light in my life and in our world. It is best not to do any chores or to check e-mail just before your quiet time. These things can scatter the heart and make your devotions more difficult and superficial. Have your favorite Bible or several translations and a journal or notebook to jot down insights or prayers that arise from this time.

For the first few days of your new discipline you may want to use a prepared devotional. After you have become accustomed to your devotional time and begun to feel its benefits, I strongly encourage you to branch out from the prepared texts and make your time more personal. Choose a passage of Scripture for reflection. Some people find it meaningful to work passage by passage through one book of the Bible at a time. The Spirit will lead you in this and you cannot make a mistake. Just relax and think of it as precious time just for you and God.

Keeping a spiritual journal or notebook can be a great way of focusing your devotional time. Try this process for a few weeks to see if it works for you.

• Light your candle and spend a few moments in quiet. Don't be concerned if your house is not all that quiet! Nothing is. Also don't worry if your mind wanders or floods with the day's doings. Just relax, don't focus on your to do list. Just breathe and tell God that you are available and grateful for this time together.
• Write the date at the top of a new page in your journal. Note how you are feeling. Is your heart heavy? Are you excited about an upcoming event? Are there any things that are worrying you especially? How do you feel in your body?
• Make a list of all of the things for which you are especially grateful today.
• Choose a short passage and read it quietly. Linger over any words that leap out at you. Read the passage again. Ask God to enliven the text in you.
• Read the passage again, this time out loud. Listen for the way the words sound on your lips. Jot down any words that strike you as important.
• Ask questions of the text. Write these answers in your journal.
• Do you ever have similar needs to those in the story? Might God be trying to meet your needs in a similar way? Write down anything that occurs to you. Don't worry if your insights are not 'big' or 'earthshaking'. They come from the Spirit and they are just what you need.
• Close your time with a prayer of thanksgiving. You might want to read one of the Psalms of thanksgiving as your closing prayer. Ask God to keep the text in your mind throughout the day and to continue to teach you its meaning.

In addition to being a source of guidance and comfort, the Scripture can also be our prayer book. Just about any passage contains a verse or two that can become your personal daily prayer. The Psalms, our family prayer book, are especially helpful for carrying our own prayers. Here's one way to do it.

• Choose a Psalm to anchor your devotions. Read it over slowly twice. Then aloud twice.
• As you read allow your heart and mind to settle on one or two verses. Then pray that verse(s) quietly over and over. For example, Psalm 30:5b says, "Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning."
• Take the first phrase and repeat it several times. As you repeat the phrase note where your own heart weeps and lift that up to God. What are the lingering hurts you hold? Lift those up to God. What are the 'nights' in your life right now? What is in need of light, of a new dawn? Lift that up to God.
• After you have stayed with that phrase for a few moments, go on to the second phrase: "But joy comes with the morning." Pray this verse quietly over and over.
• Then try abbreviating the verse to get at the heart of it. For example, say "But joy comes with the morning... .joy comes with the morning... .joy comes... .joy... .joy... .joy... .joy." Let the promise of joy be your prayer for the day. Even if you can not feel joy, you may still be in the nighttime, let its promise feed you all day long.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of this promise during the day (John 14:26). When it comes to mind, pause and pray your one word prayer. Let that promise focus you for the day.

Okay, I know. We aren't as young as we used to be, but give it a try. Don't try to memorize long passages. It is too easy for that endeavor to turn into an end in and of itself. Remember that the Bible is not an end to itself. It is a gift from one who loves us and is intended to be used to deepen relationship and to heal the world. It is grace, grace and more grace so don't try to turn it into a burden. Try this.

• When you feel your quiet time coming to an end, pause once more with the text.
• See if one verse speaks to you with special power. Read it over again. Then try to memorize it word by word.
• Write the verse on a sticky note or a small card to keep on your desk or on the bathroom mirror.
• Throughout the day draw your heart to the verse and repeat it until it becomes second nature. It will become so much a part of you that it will be there for the Spirit to use for your aid anytime and anyplace.

For example, last week I had some very unpleasant medical tests. As I sat in a faded hospital gown with my ridiculous winter white legs hanging out, the words of Psalm 23 came to as if from my core. All through the tests I repeated them... .God leads me beside still waters... "God restores my soul... .though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." I thanked God for the Sunday School teacher who made us learn those sacred words! They were there for me, in me, when I needed them.

God longs to be with you even more than you long to be with God, God loves you and desires nothing more than to help, comfort and encourage you. Daily Bible devotions will always produce results. It will sometimes be hard. God uses the Bible to comfort and also to confront. As you spend more time in the Word you will surely find that character flaws and old hurts will come to awareness. These are the arenas of God's healing action and you are safe to explore them. Get support if you need to. Don't beat yourself up if it is hard to keep your discipline going. Just keep trying. That is enough.