Making Biblical Application Personal, Practical, Possible, Provable
By Rick Warren

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves” (James 1:22 NLT).

Nothing becomes dynamic until it becomes specific. That’s why when you read God’s Word, you try to move it to what you need to do now — your application.

A great habit to get into after you read your Bible is to write a one-sentence application for what you’ve just read. It’ll help you become a “doer of the Word,” not just a hearer.

What makes a good application sentence? It has four characteristics:

It’s personal. You can’t write an application for somebody else. It’s not about what the world needs to do or what your spouse needs to do or what your kids need to do. It’s about what you need to do!

It’s practical. Your application should be something you can actually do and something you are able to make a plan to do. Broad generalities won’t help you. In fact, they’ll produce little action and will make you feel helpless. 

It’s possible. If you can’t actually accomplish your application, you’ll likely get discouraged. If your application is that you need to pray five hours a day, you won’t do it. Don’t go a day without prayer. That’s practical. Praying for five hours isn’t practical.

It’s provable. You need to set yourself a deadline to check on yourself. Until you set a deadline and a goal, you can’t check yourself. Then it’s just a dream.

You can do this with any portion of the Bible you’re reading. The Bible says, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves” (James 1:22 NLT).

Play today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

  • After reading this devotional, how will your quiet time change?
  • What one-sentence application will you try to put into practice today?
  • Do you have a desire to do what God’s Word says? How is that reflected in your life?

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

40 Days in the Word Complete Audio

Get more out of God’s Word!

Being a faithful follower of Christ isn’t just about reading God’s Word. You have to hear it, reflect on it, AND apply it to your life

The 40 Days in the Word complete audio series is our gift to thank you for your financial support of Daily Hope. Simply request your copy available as a boxed CD set or by MP3 download when you give below.

Thank you for your support to help more people learn, love and live God’s Word! 

This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can also listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.