Praying with an Open Bible

Good morning. Welcome to day 12 of 21 Days Breakthrough Prayer with Pentecostals and Murfreesboro and LifeBridge Church. My name is Douglas Elkins, and I'm excited that you're able to join us, as we go through this prayer journey. Each day someone new will walk through one day of the devotional. I encourage you, if you've missed today, to go back and catch up on the previous days, either via Facebook app or on our website. Today's subject is Praying with an Open Bible, and today I join you all from back home in Indiana, where a family has gathered, as my mother is coming to the end of her earthly journey.

One of my greatest memories of my mother is oftentimes walking into her home and seeing her with an open Bible, and knowing that she's been spending precious time with our Savior. My mother is a woman of Prayer, and she's a student of the word, and I will be forever thankful for her influence on my life.

Encountering a person who's struggling to establish a consistent prayer life, often times we find that one of the most stated challenges is that it seems we so quickly run out of things to say. See, we're told the prayers of, just a conversation with God, but prayer can so easily seem like a one-sided conversation, which is so difficult to sustain. Well, prayer is a conversation. When we think of a conversation, we think of the back-and-forth dialogue between two people. But I'm sure, like many of you, I cannot sit here before you today and point to a specific time that I have heard the audible voice of God respond, as I pour out my heart and my thoughts to him.

The writer of our devotion today makes an incredible point when he states that, most usually, the person who starts the conversation guides the conversation. Oh boy, oh boy, to smack me between the eyes, 'as soon as I read that statement for the very first time, I immediately began to take inventory. My personal prayer time quickly realized the validity at that point. When I come into my time of conversation with God, and I start by rattling off all of my needs and all of my thoughts, the conversation many times becomes struggle, and most Gentiles always self focused.

But without hearing the audible voice of God, how can we look to him to begin the conversation, by opening up his written word, and allowing it to speak to us, and direct our time of communion? As we open our time of prayer by reading from the Bible, we begin to feel the presence of God move into the room, and our prayers take on a whole new intimacy. We can allow God to direct our conversation through his word.

In our reading today, John Piper addresses, and I'm going to take my liberty to use the oaken's paraphrase here, that it's fine to bring our physical or natural needs and desires to God, but the catch is here, that we must prioritize them correctly within the spiritual Kingdom focus. When we allow God to guide our conversations, we will seek resolution to the natural, within the context of pursuing the spiritual, and everything will be okay.

Matthew 6:33 says this, at the New Living Translation: seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Throughout the decades, the centuries, the millennia, the Word of God has stood the test of time. The principles we find within the Bible are ageless. And perhaps children understand this the best. For example, the youngster who understands that the Bible says we should only have one marriage, this is called monotony. Or the one who was telling about Joshua fighting the Battle of Geritol, guess all of the soldiers were old. And of course, then there's the one who imparts the understanding that the first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.

But seriously, whether it be a health and healing need, a financial situation, a personal relationship issue, an employment request, or just simply help remembering the answers to tomorrow's school exam, the word of God is complete with guidance that will speak into our life, when we keep it all in the proper perspective, and bathe it in prayer. Praying with an open Bible is not relegated to beginning our prayer time, but also is our reference throughout our prayer time. So much could be addressed on this topic, but having an open Bible allows God to direct us to particular Scripture. It allows us to praise scripture, and it allows us time to simply pause from our talking, to be quiet and listen for God's response, while we meditate on its word.

So let me leave you with this. If we're not careful, simply reading the word alone can become an exercise in literature. Praying by itself can become a session of repetitive oratory. But when we combine the open word with our time of Prayer, it will become a time of anointing, powerful spiritual visitation, and divine direction and enlightenment for our walk with God.

Let me pray for us all right now. Father, we just want to take this opportunity to thank you for your word. Your word is a lamp unto our feet, a light into our pathway. And when the darkness of the cares of life seem to be surrounding is like a thick fog, we can simply look into your word, and couple that with the intimacy of prayer, knowing that your spirit will come alive, and give us the direction, guidance that we hunger for. Help us to always keep our personal requests in the proper priority, and in the correct light of your kingdom. We are truly thankful, Lord, that your word is more than just words on a page, but they bring us hope and encouragement for this journey of life. Guide us this day into your perfect plan and your will for our lives. Help us through your word to be the reflection of your love and grace that will impact the lives of those that we come into contact with. And we ask these things now in the name of Jesus, your name, the name that is above every other name, amen.

I want to thank you for joining me for day 12, Praying with an Open Bible. If you haven't already done so, please take some time today, read and apply the devotional for your own personal life, and then join us live again tomorrow at 7 a.m. with day 13, as we discuss Prayer Can Do Anything. God bless you. Have a great day.