When practicing the piano, I know when I truly know a piece and can play it properly over and over, versus when I just happen to play it right once by luck. It feels different, even though it may sound the same to someone else. If I play a passage incorrectly, as I mentioned yesterday, I know I need to practice it correctly multiple times before I can be confident that I will play it right in the future. It may take only four or five times, or it may take a hundred. I may have to start with playing it one hand at a time, or playing it slowly and gradually increasing the speed until it is up to tempo. I may have to memorize that passage to really know it well. Sometimes I may even play the passage with slightly different rhythms until I have it down firmly.
Similarly, we can tell when we really are doing something right for God, and have it ingrained in our inner selves, rather than just happening to do something right one time. If you are trying to train yourself to read the Bible every day, you may try reading just one verse at a time. Perhaps an app on your phone can send you a Bible verse once a day, and you can at least read that when prompted. Then, once that is a habit, you could try adding a longer passage to your reading. Read the surrounding verses. You could try memorizing verses and repeating them to yourself once a day. You could even try randomly picking a time and reading an extra verse. Or, whenever you are feeling stressed or unhappy, remember a verse you have memorized and repeat it to yourself.
All these ‘practice sessions’ will help you meet your goal of turning to God’s Word daily. And you will know when the behavior stops being forced, and becomes a natural inclination of your heart. Instead of knowing what you should be doing but not really wanting to do it, your heart will change, and you will begin to seek out God’s Word as a gift and a blessing. It will become a source of life to you, instead of a chore or obligation. This same method could be used for training yourself to not do some particular sin. Take small steps at first, and practice avoiding the temptation. Strive to be perfect!
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48