Pray before You Read and Ask God to Reveal Things through His Word

Slide 1 of 3

One of the first things I wanted to do when I started reading the Bible was to finish the entire thing. I adopted a solid reading plan, complete with notifications to help me stay on track. After a few weeks, it became part of my morning routine. I’d wake up, grab a cup of coffee, and open my Bible plan. Routines can be a good thing, but some days the routine felt more like a reading rut.

2 Timothy 3:16 teaches us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”

If we’re reading without seeking God first, we may be missing the inspiration that comes through Scripture. By praying a simple prayer right before we read, we open the door for God to speak to our hearts. Our prayer doesn’t need to be long or profound to get God’s attention. He is pleased when we pray and express our desire to know Him more.

Watch for the Ways the Books of the Bible Connect

Have you ever been right in the middle of a passage and thought, “Didn’t I read about this somewhere else?” It’s like a sense that you’ve been there before, immersed in a story or chapter.

One of the most amazing things about the Bible is how it is all connected. The story of our Savior Jesus is woven throughout both the New and Old Testaments. What a treasure to be able to find glimpses of the hope of Christ in each book! By looking for ways the books of the Bible are connected, we can gain new knowledge about the promises of God.

So how is this possible? How are pieces of Jesus’ life and story found in pages and pages of historical writings? Jesus himself is the Word. John 1:14 reveals this truth, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

As you read the Bible, watch for the ways the books connect. Study a timeline of its contents. See how our Savior is the living, breathing Word of God.

Related Resource: Listen to our podcast, Teach Us to Pray with Christina Patterson. You can find all the episodes at LifeAudio.com. Listen to Episode 1 here:

Photo Credit: © Getty Images/digitalskillet3