How to Be Like Charlie

Scheduling time to Pray and Read the Word of God.

by Erika DeBenedictis

Charlie was such an awesome person—coming out of a self-destructive childhood and becoming a man who loved well and was well-loved. If there was a reason for this love he had, it was because he read his Bible consistently, prayed every day, and knew he was loved and accepted by God.

Charlie got up early every morning before work and read his Bible. Romans 12:2 says,

“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

It is so easy to get sucked into the pattern of this world: Go to school or work, get some money, spend time scrolling on the internet, and go to bed - every day for the rest of your life. The End.

So how do we escape this meaninglessness? By reading the Bible and allowing it to change the way you think, which actually changes who you are. Whatever you think about, you become.

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those, who find them and health to all their body. -Proverbs 4:20-22

Practically speaking, here is something you can do to make reading the Bible more of a habit: Read one chapter of Proverbs each day, corresponding to the day of the month (so on November 22, read Proverbs Chapter 22). This is a simple way to make becoming a person of wisdom a priority in your life.

You can also read five Psalms per day, also corresponding to the days of the month (on November 22, you’d read Psalm 22 and then add 30 to the 22, which equals 52, and also read Psalms 52, 82, 112, and 142). Psalms are wonderful because they help you to understand God’s heart for you.

You can also pick a Gospel to read (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Those are four different accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus. Or simply ask the Holy Spirit to show you what to read in the Bible.

We know that a lot of people struggle to find a consistent way to read the bible, so we are going to be posting a daily Bible reading schedule here: https://www.charliestrust.com/group/lets-read-the-bible-and-pray/discussion

Charlie also prayed early every morning before he went to work. He had a prayer list that he brought with him when he prayed. Here is a copy of his prayer list that he sent to me last year:

Charlie's Prayer Guide.pdf

Download PDF • 55KB

He didn’t always work his way through the whole list every day. Sometimes, he would pray for a couple of the prayer points that jumped out at him. He would also wait on the Lord and pray in the Spirit.

Charlie also knew that he was accepted by God.

“I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you.” - Isaiah 41:9-10

Because Charlie knew he was accepted by God, he always accepted others and welcomed them into conversation. This is how we build community. No one wants to be alone. Charlie's desire was to create a community walking together down the path that Jesus had laid out before us. So we have created a phone app and multiple social groups that you can join so that we can journey together

Even though Charlie made so many mistakes and bad choices when he was younger, he loved God because God first loved him and accepted him. He learned about God’s acceptance of him when he spent time praying and reading the Bible.

Charlie would encourage you to do what he did: read God’s word and pray. You, too, can love and live as Charlie did.

- Erika DeBenedictis