What do I do before Reading the Bible
Remember, the question is not, “How do I get myself to read the Bible
more?” I think we need to reword and rethink that question. The proper
question should be, “How do I value God more?” When I place a deep
value of God in my life and desire a growing relationship with him, I
should be naturally drawn to spend time with my Lord and Saviour.
Reading the Bible is not the only way to spend time with God, but it is
the best way.
If I desire to read the Bible regularly, the first thing I need to foster is an
understanding that the Bible is not just some book to read and study
then put back on the shelf for another day. God Himself inspired men to
write the Bible (2 Peter 1:21, 2 Timothy 3:1) for the purpose of
instructing us (Rom. 15:4), guiding us (Psalm 119:105) and to reveal
Jesus to us (John 1:14; 5:39). The Bible is also a living and active
document (Heb. 4:12), which is eternal and unchanging (Isaiah 40:8;
Matt. 15:18). There is so much more that could be shared about what
the Bible says about itself; maybe you could spend some time looking up
passages for yourself.
With this in mind, the next thing you'll need to do is get a Bible with
language you can understand. Since you probable don’t speak the
original languages that the Bible was written in (Hebrew, Aramaic, and
Greek), your only option is to get ahold of a Bible that has been
translated. With so many good versions today, both traditional and
contemporary, it should be easy for you get a Bible you can understand.
There are two kinds of versions out there; translations and paraphrases.
A translation tries to match the specific meaning of the words and
phrases of the original text. It is more of a literal understanding of what
the original text is saying. Some common translations are the KJV, NIV,
ESV, and NASB. A paraphrase is like restating the gist of a passage in
words and phrasing you would find in today’s language. It is more of
what the original text means. Some common paraphrases are The
Message, The Living Bible, etc. I recommend getting a translation for your
daily devotional reading.
Here are two more things to keep in mind when you are preparing for
your daily Bible reading; find a specific spot and set aside a good amount
of time. When you read the Bible, choose a place with minimal
distractions where you can concentrate. Also, plan a specific time of the
day for Bible reading. If you don't plan this out, it's too easy to skip it.
Whatever time you set to meet with God, the important thing is that you
keep your appointment!
If your habit of daily Bible reading is to be leading you closer to Jesus
and deeper in relationship with the living God, you need to develop a
hunger to know God better through his Word. And you need to ask God
for this hunger in prayer - constantly. The Holy Spirit is the one to
convict you of your need of God (John 16:7-11), he is the one to teach
you the truths found in Scripture and remind you of these truths (John
14:26).
With that in mind, there is one more thing you need to do before you
open your Bible. You need to pray. You need to ask the Holy Spirit to
help you understand what you will be reading, and to help you apply
these truths into your life. The following are two prayers that you could
use before you start reading your Bible.
Prayers to use before reading your Bible
Merciful God, anoint me with you Holy Spirit. As I read your Word, let me
hear your voice speaking to me from within. Give me the wisdom to
understand your message to me. Let your Word be the joy of my heart
and the light to my feet. Give me strength to build my life on your Word.
Let it be done to me according to your Word. May I rejoice in the
blessedness of hearing your Word and keeping it. Speak Lord; your
servant is listening. Lord, inspire me to read your Scriptures and to
meditate upon them day and night. I beg you to give me real
understanding of what I need, that I in turn may put its precepts into
practice. Yet, I know that understanding and good intentions are
worthless, unless rooted in your graceful love. So I ask that the words of
Scripture may also be not just signs on a page, but channels of grace
into my heart. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
Father God, show me what your Words mean and help me apply them to
my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.