Author: Pastor Robin Tyner
How many books do you think have been written on the topic of prayer? If someone were to ask, “What’s the best book you’ve read on prayer, what would you say? There are many wonderful books that have been written on prayer and I’m grateful for them. And yet, the best book on prayer is the Bible.
Here’s why: The apostle John wrote, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (I John 5:14-15). When we pray God’s Word we are praying God’s will, and we can be confident that He not only hears, but He answers. Also, the Bible is full of God’s promises we can pray back to Him. God delights to hear us pray His Word to Him.
There’s a problem though. As Christians we think our Bible reading is something we do in one corner, and our prayer time is done separately in another corner. Where did we get that idea? Both prayer and Bible reading are essential to communing with God, and when we blend both together our time with God is greatly enhanced.
If you didn’t know it already, the most practical tool to help us pray is an open Bible. The Word of God is the will of God. The best way to talk to God about His will is using His own words. The psalmist prayed, “Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight; Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:35, 105).
Since I’ve intentionally been using the Bible as my prayer book, it has opened new opportunities to pray God’s Word back to Him. It’s also given me a much greater assurance that when I pray He not only He hears, but He answers.
Photo Credit: Aaron Owens, Unsplash
