4/16/12
Prayer
Reading the Bible
Sounds like two basic things you are taught in Sunday School as a child to do. I’ve known my whole life I should pray. I’ve been taught since I was a child to read my Bible every day.
Does that mean I do it all the time? No
Does that mean when I do it I do it well? No
You see I’ve been learning a few things lately. A few things is an understatement actually. But right now I want to just share a few things.
PRAYER
God has really been showing me a lot about prayer. To talk to him about everything. To spend so much of my time in prayer for others and the things around me.
It hasn’t been an easy process. I’ve had questions. I’ve had doubts. But I’ve come to the conclusion that he just wants to spend time with me. He wants to hear from me and he wants me to be quiet and listen to him.
Maybe the word prayer is one of those “Christianese” words. Maybe the word conversate is what should be used. Because that’s what it is. Sometimes it is a conversation between me and my Father. Sometimes it is a conversation between me and my best friend. And even sometimes it is a conversation between me and my counselor/advisor. But whatever the conversation looks like in the moment I am confident that praying bold prayers and praying in general is something that God desires from me and I know he is always listening to me. I can confidently say that my God is a God who answers prayers. And I know that he answers prayers that other people pray for me as well.
You see just in the last 60ish hours God has done incredible things in me and I know that it is not my prayers that he is answering. There have been things I haven’t wanted lately but I’ve known I needed. Because I didn’t want them I didn’t pray for them. But I know other people in my life have been praying for it and I know by the changes God has made in my life that God is answering their prayers for me.
My attitude on prayer is daily shifting to become more of a constant mindset to conversate with God about any and everything.
READING THE BIBLE
Reading the Bible is probably the worst thing to call this. Maybe what I would have called reading the Bible a few months ago and what I call it now are two different things. You see I’ve always read my Bible. I’ve sat down, opened up the book and read the words on the page. Mark that off the to-do list, now I can go to bed. So yes, I’ve read the Bible.
But now instead of “reading the Bible” God is continuing to show me what it looks like to study his word and hear him speak to me through it. Just today I sat at our kitchen table and said one of the great things about the Bible is I can read a verse today, tomorrow, and a year from now and every time God will point out a different word or different thought for the same verse. I’m learning to truly dive into the Bible and question what it says. In questioning it I am able to use more scripture to support a solid answer on what I believe about something. Which in turn is only helping me to grow and increase my faith more and more in God.
I have been blessed this month to begin a wonderful relationship with our translator. This man is incredible and challenges me daily in the best ways possible. Multiple times a day I sit down to discuss different things from the Bible with him. Through these conversations he has taught me how important it is to use scripture to support everything I say. Because of the deep talks I am able to have with him I am learning to be so in God’s word and know what it says.
My thought process on “reading the Bible” has made great strides from a check on the to-do list to something I desire to do.
I am more than thankful that God has opened my eyes to these two things. I’m so appreciative that he has taken the time to show me through daily events and circumstances how important these two basic fundamental things are in my life.
Am I perfect in these two things now? No
Do I now pray as often for others as I should? No
Do I now always read my Bible to hear God speak to me? No
Is it a process that God is daily walking me through? YES!
Has the way I look at these two things taken on a new role in my life? YES!
What about in your life?
