Three Things to Do Before You Read Your Bible
Three Things to Do Before You Read Your Bible
These are the days of….three months later…unrest…too much rest…whispered and shouted conversations…a week-long break from sharing words online. Silence. Music. School work. Sameness. These are the days of ordinary, mundane, work. For us, here, life has been almost exactly the same since March 14. Twelve weeks. Next week marks twelve weeks of staying at home. Plans cancelled. Again and again. Homesickness. Loneliness. Silent work behind the scenes. Feeling like time has been wasted….but what if God is always working?
Do I really believe nothing is wasted? Our God is the Maker and Creator and Expert of producing something out of nothing. My life feels a lot like….well nothing. God is still working. I’ve been living in a fog without clear direction for weeks. The fog hasn’t lifted, but I feel like it’s time to remember what is true. For when darkness tries to settle in my heart, remembering what is true is always the turning point. Remember God is faithful. Remember I am loved by God. Remember God is working.
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Remember God sees, understands, and hears my prayers. So if these days feel heavy, full of unrest, weary and just plain hard: Remember the simple truths. You know this sun right here? It will come back around tomorrow. Just keep having faith in the simple truth that God keeps His promises. Bible reading will be your anchor during this time! Before you even begin to read your Bible, I hope you will do these three things.
- Believe. Believe God is true. Believe the Bible is His word and you can trust it. We all come to the Bible with our baggage. So don’t let your prejudices, past, or preconceived notions affect the way you see the Bible. Come with only the thought that God is true and His Word can be trusted. Believe it before you even read it.
- Pray. I cannot emphasize this enough. I know I need to repeat over and over again. Prayer matters. It does. I have to repeat it because my heart needs this reminder. So many times I’ve approached the Bible without even asking God to direct me. Pray and pray and pray. If you are curious, I have 5 Prayers to Pray Over Bible study here to help you get started.
- Expect. Go to the Bible expecting God to show up. He is truly alive and His word lives. It is alive and no matter how many times you’ve read a verse, you can read it again today and see it with fresh eyes. Expect God to speak to your heart. What is in your heart?
If there is sin, expect Him to convict.
If there is guilt, expect forgiveness.
If there is weariness, expect strength.
If there is fear, expect courage.
If there is sorrow, expect comfort.
If there is confusion, expect direction.
If there is thirsty, expect to be satisfied.
If there is hunger, expect to be filled.
God’s Word is not meant to be read like a novel or “easy-reading.” His word is deeper, richer, fuller, and more than we could ever imagine. Go to his word today. Soak it up. No matter how long it’s been. Begin today. Start with this 12 Days of Psalms reading plan!
Sarah E. Frazer is a writer and Bible study mentor at sarahefrazer.com. She is the wife of Jason and mother of five who all serve as full-time missionaries in Honduras. Her passion is to encourage women to fall in love with the Bible. Sarah is the author of several Bible study resources for women. She shares tools for deep-rooted Bible study at sarahefrazer.com. Follow her on Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/sarah_e_frazer) and join her free prayer challenge at sarahefrazer.com/prayer