The Importance of Prayer in Bible Study
How often have you attended a Bible study class or small group that began with ten minutes worth of prayer requests, a one minute prayer, and then what everyone came for – the Bible study? Unfortunately, the same pattern is followed in private Bible study where individuals say a quick prayer and plunge right into the word (if prayer is remembered at all). Christians need to understand why prayer is important in Bible study.
In Matthew 7 Jesus laid down a basic principle of speaking to God and hearing from God. He said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:6 KJV).” Before we seek we need to learn to ask. But what is it we should ask God before seeking God’s answers in His word? Listen to what Solomon prayed for in Proverbs 2:1-3: “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding (KJV).” Several key things are pointed out in that passage related to prayer and Bible study.
•We must prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually to receive God’s Word – we have top “incline our ear” to the Scripture.
•We must be prepared to take in what we learn – this is the “hiding” of God’s truths in our hearts.
•We must long for God to speak to us – this is the crying out for knowledge.
Even when we want to pray and learn we don’t know how to pray. This is why the disciple implored for Jesus to teach them how to pray. A good practice is to learn to pray God’s Word. Open your Bible to the Psalms and begin to read aloud as a prayer to God. Personalize verses from the New Testament and repeat them back to God. It is impossible to go wrong when speaking back to God what He has spoken to us. In this manner, you accomplish two things: listening and learning.