**This article was originally published on February 11th, 2020 on our old website.**
Last week, I wrote an introductory blog post for those who are reading through the Bible with us in 2020. The goal seems easy enough, especially when you realize it can be done in twenty minutes or less a day. The problem people run into with this practice is twofold:
It takes consistency and discipline, and most people fall off of their plan after a month or so.
Those who stick with it often find themselves going to the Word of God with their hearts in the wrong place.
The First Problem: A Simple Fix (Not Easy)
In my own walk with Christ, the first one has been the easiest to overcome. Finding fifteen to twenty minutes somewhere in the day was easy for me to do when I began adding up social media and TV time.
Twenty minutes isn’t hard to find when we count the minutes we spend doing things that aren’t worth anything in light of eternity.
The Second Problem: A Heart Issue
Just the other day I was having one of those mornings. I was rushed and overwhelmed. All the things that needed to get done were all that was on my mind.
I managed to get my run in first thing, headed to the office. I opened up my planner and set it to the side, opened my Bible and rushed through my daily reading.
The next thing I did revealed a heart issue. I closed my Bible, grabbed a pen, and put a big check mark next to the “read the Bible” item on the top of my to-do list. I felt like I accomplished something. My time in God’s Word was nothing more than something to cross off my list.
There was no prayer beforehand. I didn’t take a single note. I didn’t even stop and ask myself what God was saying to me in that moment.
Most Christians I know pray, but none of them would say they pray enough. The same goes for me.
We pray for our meals. Hopefully we make it a point to pray at other times throughout the day as well. But if Jesus doesn’t intend for us to “live by bread alone, but from every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4, ESV), why would I pray before eating a sandwich but not before reading my Bible?
In the first chapter, he addresses the problem I just described. Matt writes:
“I am convinced that a prayerless approach to God’s Word is a major reason for the low-level dissatisfaction that hums beneath the surface of our lives. We rob ourselves of joy and peace when we fail to pray. Indeed, approaching Scripture apart from prayer is one of the most counterproductive things we do. For prayerless Christianity is powerless Christianity.” (Smethurst, Before You Open Your Bible, p. 6)
He’s not lying! His statement couldn’t be truer.
Starting With Prayer:
Smethurst goes on to share a simple prayer guide from Scripture that he got from John Piper. I’ve been using it daily before I read my Bible each morning, and I hope it can be a help to you as well.
A Helpful Acronym: I-O-U-S
I – “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain”(Ps 119:36, ESV)
O – “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law”
(Ps 119:18, ESV)
U – “Unite my heart to fear your name” (Ps 86:11, ESV)
S – “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love” (Ps 90:14, ESV)
(Smethurst, Before You Open Your Bible, pp. 7-11)
**A very helpful article on avoiding repetitious prayer, specifically in light of this acronym can be found here.**
As we read the Word of God, it’s important to recognize that our hearts and minds will naturally drift toward things of the world. We have goals and plans. Let’s pray that our hearts wouldn’t be focused on those things during our time in the Word.
The Bible gives us the most wonderful news in all of history: the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as payment for the sin of all who believe in Him. The entire Bible points to Him, and every word within its pages is intended by God for us to live by.
The access we have to Scripture has made its glory appear dull to us. Let’s pray against that!
The fear of God is not the same thing as fearing a character from a horror movie. We are to be awestruck God, and even by His very name, in a similar way we stand in awe of the ocean the first time we see it.
If we understand the severity of the problem of our sin in light of a holy and just God, there should be nothing more satisfying than God’s love for us. Though we deserve His wrath and condemnation, Jesus paid for our sin in full so that we might be restored to our Father in heaven.
Slow Down, Just a Little:
I know that we’re all in a hurry. In the business of life, we feel stretched to just come up with the time to read the Bible every day.
As we approach God’s Word, let us approach it with prayer. This is the first step in making sure we’re getting the most out of our pursuit and effort.
How to Approach Your Bible: Prayerfully
**This article was originally published on February 11th, 2020 on our old website.**
Last week, I wrote an introductory blog post for those who are reading through the Bible with us in 2020. The goal seems easy enough, especially when you realize it can be done in twenty minutes or less a day. The problem people run into with this practice is twofold:
The First Problem: A Simple Fix (Not Easy)
In my own walk with Christ, the first one has been the easiest to overcome. Finding fifteen to twenty minutes somewhere in the day was easy for me to do when I began adding up social media and TV time.
Twenty minutes isn’t hard to find when we count the minutes we spend doing things that aren’t worth anything in light of eternity.
The Second Problem: A Heart Issue
Just the other day I was having one of those mornings. I was rushed and overwhelmed. All the things that needed to get done were all that was on my mind.
I managed to get my run in first thing, headed to the office. I opened up my planner and set it to the side, opened my Bible and rushed through my daily reading.
The next thing I did revealed a heart issue. I closed my Bible, grabbed a pen, and put a big check mark next to the “read the Bible” item on the top of my to-do list. I felt like I accomplished something. My time in God’s Word was nothing more than something to cross off my list.
There was no prayer beforehand. I didn’t take a single note. I didn’t even stop and ask myself what God was saying to me in that moment.
Most Christians I know pray, but none of them would say they pray enough. The same goes for me.
We pray for our meals. Hopefully we make it a point to pray at other times throughout the day as well. But if Jesus doesn’t intend for us to “live by bread alone, but from every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4, ESV), why would I pray before eating a sandwich but not before reading my Bible?
A Hard Truth:
As I mentioned last week, I began reading a short book by Matt Smethurst. It’s called Before You Open Your Bible: Nine Heart Postures for Approaching God’s Word. In it he offers a simple help that leads us to approach the Bible in a meaningful way.
In the first chapter, he addresses the problem I just described. Matt writes:
“I am convinced that a prayerless approach to God’s Word is a major reason for the low-level dissatisfaction that hums beneath the surface of our lives. We rob ourselves of joy and peace when we fail to pray. Indeed, approaching Scripture apart from prayer is one of the most counterproductive things we do. For prayerless Christianity is powerless Christianity.” (Smethurst, Before You Open Your Bible, p. 6)
He’s not lying! His statement couldn’t be truer.
Starting With Prayer:
Smethurst goes on to share a simple prayer guide from Scripture that he got from John Piper. I’ve been using it daily before I read my Bible each morning, and I hope it can be a help to you as well.
A Helpful Acronym: I-O-U-S
I – “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain” (Ps 119:36, ESV)
O – “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law”
(Ps 119:18, ESV)
U – “Unite my heart to fear your name” (Ps 86:11, ESV)
S – “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love” (Ps 90:14, ESV)
(Smethurst, Before You Open Your Bible, pp. 7-11)
**A very helpful article on avoiding repetitious prayer, specifically in light of this acronym can be found here.**
As we read the Word of God, it’s important to recognize that our hearts and minds will naturally drift toward things of the world. We have goals and plans. Let’s pray that our hearts wouldn’t be focused on those things during our time in the Word.
The Bible gives us the most wonderful news in all of history: the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as payment for the sin of all who believe in Him. The entire Bible points to Him, and every word within its pages is intended by God for us to live by.
The access we have to Scripture has made its glory appear dull to us. Let’s pray against that!
The fear of God is not the same thing as fearing a character from a horror movie. We are to be awestruck God, and even by His very name, in a similar way we stand in awe of the ocean the first time we see it.
If we understand the severity of the problem of our sin in light of a holy and just God, there should be nothing more satisfying than God’s love for us. Though we deserve His wrath and condemnation, Jesus paid for our sin in full so that we might be restored to our Father in heaven.
Slow Down, Just a Little:
I know that we’re all in a hurry. In the business of life, we feel stretched to just come up with the time to read the Bible every day.
As we approach God’s Word, let us approach it with prayer. This is the first step in making sure we’re getting the most out of our pursuit and effort.