How to Be More Prayerful in Bible Study (Prayers Included)
At the end of a crazy day, as I get ready to hop into bed, guilt overwhelms me because I realize I haven’t stopped to read my Bible one. Single. Time.
All-day long. Somehow, even though I talked to Jesus on occasion, my day slipped by without me spending time in the Word.
Ugh. Besides guilt over not opening my Bible, I know that if another day or two passes in the same way, I’ll feel…icky.
Oh boy. Icky may not describe the feeling exactly, but days without Scripture tend to make me begin to try to take on the world by myself which inevitably leaves me cranky, stressed, and teary.
So…icky works as a description. Do you know what I mean?
I know I need to open my Bible and get into the Word, but it’s just so late.
Instead of taking an intentional, focused 10 minutes to immerse myself in Scripture, I grab my Bible and open it to any old page.
Quickly, I read through a few verses, say a quick pray, clap the book shut, and turn off the lights.
“There,” I think. I’ve read the Bible today.
But Sister, that’s just cheating. I’ve cheated myself and God.
Thankfully, that scenario doesn’t happen often, but it has happened to me more than I’d like to admit. Have you ever been in the same boat?
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What I’ve determined is that in addition to planning my day and setting routines on when to study God’s Word, I need to focus and be more prayerful in Bible study.
Prayer is a gift to us. It’s a way we have direct communication with God, our Creator. We build our personal relationship with Christ through prayer, and it makes sense that when we study His message to us, we do so in prayer.
Prayer and scripture go hand in hand. God speaks to us through His Word. We respond through prayer.
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In order to avoid a scene like the previous where I just read a few verses so I could check Read Scripture off my To-Do List, I’ve decided to be more prayerful in Bible study. Here’s my plan. Tell me what you think:
How to Be More Prayerful in Bible Study
First, pray actively.
Before you begin, pray directly to God. Try these words or use your own:
Lord, Thank you for the messages you teach me in your Word. Thank you for this time today I have to be with you. Reveal to me what you need me to know. Amen
Praying opens a connection between you and God and will help your study be deeper and more meaningful.
Second, pray passively.
Focus on the Words and the meaning all the while keeping Christ at the back of your mind. Passive prayer can encourage you in all situations, not just studying your Bible. As a companion to reading the Word, though, it deepens your connection by inviting Jesus to be a continuous part of your study. You’re letting Him know He’s the main attraction and in turn, He’ll guide you to what you need to learn.
Last of all, pray actively again.
With your full focus back on God, say a prayer of thanks. Try this prayer or one of your own:
Lord, let my life reflect the lessons of today in your name. Amen
As you can see, the prayers I gave you as a sample or short and simple. Pray longer if you’d like, but it’s not mandatory. Simply opening yourself to Christ and keeping Him with you throughout will make a huge difference as you read the Word.
No longer will you (or me) have to make do with disconnected reciting of verses just to get our Bible reading in for the day.
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