I’m sure everyone is familiar with sins of commission. These are the sins that we willfully commit. Maybe we aren’t mindful at the time that we are sinning or maybe we don’t care, but they are the sins that can be seen.

Sins of omission, on the other hand, are harder to detect, but they are sins just the same. I believe the most popular of these sins for Christians are the failure to pray and/or read the Bible.

Although there is not a command in the Bible that says, “Thou must read thy Bible,” Jesus constantly referred to the Scriptures and chastised the Pharisees for not knowing them (Matthew 21:42; 22:29). Scripture is where we learn about Jesus and receive our instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). If you lack motivation when it comes to studying God’s Word, or if you have a hard time understanding what you are reading, ask God to give you ears to hear and the strength to persevere.

The disciples saw the importance of prayer when they implored Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Jesus proceeded to do so. In Matthew 6:5-8, He also taught them how not to pray. Again, we learn these things from reading God’s Word.

I know that spiritual disciplines can be hard, especially when one is not used to them, but they really are important. To neglect them is to neglect fellowship with the One you claim to serve. Incorporating praise into your routine may be helpful to bring you into God’s presence before you spend time in prayer, at which point you may be more ready to open His Word and allow Him to speak to you. Afterward, ponder what you have read, looking for ways to apply it or learn from it (depending on what you just read).

We are not here to merely occupy space. We are here to be a light that will point others to Jesus, but we cannot do that if we don’t have a relationship with Him. So start today. It may be baby steps at first, but I trust that the more you make yourself do what you know to do, the easier it will become, and you will see yourself growing in ways you never thought possible.