A Magnolia's Heart Beats

The Importance of Prayer and Reading God's Word

The importance of reading our Bibles daily is essential. Once we get into a pattern, it's important not to lose that roll that we are on.

I realized this recently when Kristyn delivered her second son. I had my Bible at the hospital, but I still fell behind because of all the activity going on around me. Even for the forty-five minutes of a nap that Nolan got in, I was sitting right by the monitor and each time the new baby would give Kristyn a contraction I caught myself watching the heart rate to see if it would go back down and got completely enthralled in the fact that the lines were off the page and she was sleeping through them. (God bless the epidural and stadol, huh?) We took Nolan home that night and I learned apparently that you cannot read your Bible and keep your eye on a walking 13 month old at the same time, so no-go. (Some of you may be more experienced at this than I - I found it impossible to give God my full attention, so I just gave up.)

There are times when life kicks in and it just can't be prevented. I have re-committed to be extra careful to guard and cherish when I am at home and in my routine - the day-to-day life routine that includes daily Bible reading.

One lesson I've learned in getting the most out of my time in the Word is that the Holy Spirit is going to speak to you when He will, but I believe that one of the ways He does speak is through the Word of God.

It's so important to pray before you read the Word. I believe when we do, it moistens our hearts in preparation, and we become more receptive to the Word of God. Let Him know how deeply the desire burns within you to learn perhaps new truths about Scriptures you probably have read 84,000 times before.

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." ~ John 14:16-17 (NIV) (Emphasis, mine)

Ask the Holy Spirit, who is also referred to as "Counselor" and "the Spirit of truth", to counsel you and to reveal the truths you seek and hope to receive during this time of Bible reading. (I should mention that this is often a good opportunity to pray before you read to confess any sins or anything that might be blocking you from fully receiving God's Word into your heart.)

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." ~ John 14:26 (NIV)

I believe with all my heart that if we begin our time of Bible reading daily and with prayer that we will open our hearts to receive the Word of God in such as way that we not only will be blessed, but also the complete opposite of dryly receiving it, as we could if we didn't pray beforehand, - our cups will surely overfow!

Overflow how? Where? I call them lovebursts. Inside of me sometimes, not all the time, I will admit, it's like the Holy Spirit knocks down a dam and lets the Word soak me through until I am just oozing from within and carrying it forth into my relationships of the days, weeks, months and years.