“Sanctify them by Your truth” (John 17:17)  

Christ asked His Father to sanctify His disciples with His truth. The word “sanctify”, means, “make holy”. Sanctification begins after God supernaturally regenerates a sinner into a saint. Sanctification takes place two ways: mortification (the saint puts to death the deeds of the flesh with the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit), and vivification, (the saint is increasingly made alive to the things of God through the indwelling Holy Spirit). 

The Word of God is essential in both ways of sanctification. To the extent you learn how God sees sin, you’ll mortify your flesh. To the extent you understand the riches of Christ, you’ll pursue holiness. “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ... by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3-4). 

If you want more of God, you should read at least five minutes of Scripture a day. After six weeks, it will become a habit for the rest of your life. Christ promised His disciples, “The Holy Spirit ... (will) bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26), but how is the Holy Spirit supposed to remind you of what you haven’t read? 

Sanctification is a cooperative process. If you read Scripture, as Christ promised, the Holy Spirit will do His part.