Definitions and Qualities

When I use the phrase "New Believer," I'm referring to individuals who either came to Christ recently or did so several years — or even decades — ago. Yes, unfortunately, there are some New Believers who came to Christ a long time ago. Why do I refer to them as New Believers? Well, they've attended church services Sunday after Sunday and haven't grown very much. Their lives are usually marked by:

  1. They haven't developed the habit of a daily prayer life - because their prayers are either sporadic, or sometimes even nonexistent.
  2. They haven't developed the habit of daily Bible reading - and their knowledge of The Scriptures is limited.
  3. They haven't developed the habit of weekly Bible study - and their understanding of some of the more challenging Biblical topics is very limited.
  4. They haven't developed any spritual disciplines - like godly living, fasting, holiness, or sacrificial giving.

Focuses

The life of a New Believer should be primarily focused on (A) drawing nearer to Christ through daily prayer and listening in prayer, (B) learning more about Him and His eternal Kingdom through the reading and studying of the Scriptures, and (C) becoming more like Him in speech and action through godly living. These three things will solidify our relationship with Him and guard against us becoming "religious."

What's great about all of these three is that they can be done independent of church attendance! But what's even better is when they can be done in conjunction with one another. So, for a New Believer, finding a church and a pastor or priest who teaches and encourages its members to do these things will produce the best results!

"Build a strong foundation of prayer, Scripture, and growth."

A Simple Schedule for Growth

A commitment of 90 minutes to three hours per week (12-25 minutes each day) which gives God roughly .5% to 1% of your daily time:

  1. One to two minutes of prayer when you first wake up - filled with praise, worship, thanksgiving, prayer for others, prayer for yourself, etc..
  2. Three to five minutes of Bible reading after prayer.
  3. Several five to fifteen seconds bursts of prayer, praise and worship throughout the day.
  4. Five to ten minutes of reading one of these books at lunch.
  5. One to three minutes of Bible reading before dinner.
  6. Five to fifteen minutes of prayer and Bible reading right before bed - filled with praise, worship, thanksgiving, confession of sins, asking for forgiveness, prayer for others, prayer for yourself, etc.
  7. In-person mixed with online church attendance every Sunday.

Put these on your calendar and set alarms — because that's what we do for all of the important things in our lives!

I pray this articlehas been informative and helpful. If you have questions or comments, email me here.

In His Name,

Roy