How many of you pray every day? All of you? Excellent, keep it up! So how many of you read your Bible every day? Statistically speaking, if you were in a room with 29 other people, only about 11 of you would raise your hand. That’s barely more than a third. Which means roughly two-thirds of the population is suffering from spiritual malnutrition. Yikes!
(Read more about the four levels of spiritual nourishment in Read Your Bible Every Day: Why it Matters & How to Start.)
Let’s talk about why it’s so important for you to not only be one of the 11 who read the Bible daily but also to read the Bible before you pray.
Hey, I’m Lauren, author of YA Christian fiction and
blogger for teens ready to level up in faith.
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In This Article
Read First: A Cautionary Tale
Lauren Thell is an author who writes Christian books for teens—specifically, contemporary Christian YA fiction. Lauren Thell does not write sci-fi, horror, mysteries, or historical fiction. In order for Lauren Thell to have her books published by a traditional publishing house, she needs to find a literary agent to represent her. So author Lauren Thell decides to query Agent A. Beecy from Ex Wiezy Literary Agency. She crafts a bulletproof query letter, spends hours putting together a proposal, and polishes up her manuscript for the twelfth time. Then she sends the materials in a tidy email to Agent A. Beecy and waits for a reply.
But no reply comes. Weeks pass, then months, until finally a businesslike “not interested” form letter lands in her inbox. And Lauren Thell is crushed because she was rejected AGAIN.
Here’s the thing, however: Agent A. Beecy is only interested in sci-fi, horror and mysteries, and under no circumstances does he represent YA fiction of any genre. Lauren Thell could’ve saved herself lots of work and disappointment if only she had checked out his webpage, which outlines these terms very clearly.
To sum up the moral of the story: Read before you ask.
(And don’t worry, this story is hypothetical. In reality, I am doing all the proper research ahead of time before seeking the services of any agent!)
Become Informed!
You make a fool of yourself and waste time when you don’t do your research, right? Everyone knows you can’t buy tires at a grocery store or go to the dentist to have your eyes checked. So why do we assume we can just ask God for anything we want without really knowing him?
To be clear, if you are praying and talking to God at all, that truly is a good thing. But that alone is not enough to have a relationship with him. To get to know someone, you have to listen, too. 1 John 5:14 says “if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
How can you know God’s will if you don’t read your Bible?
Knowing God and what his will is might help you understand why the prayer you’ve been praying over and over continues to go unanswered.
2 Reasons Why it’s Important to Read the Bible Before You Pray
1) Reading the Bible helps you know who God is.
A tragic number of people today have an incorrect idea of who God really is. He’s not a benevolent grandfather in the sky, nor is he a tyrannical dictator just waiting for you to give him a reason to throw you into hell. He’s also not a genie in a bottle and he’s certainly not a wish-granting factory. If you have any of these views in your head—or any other view of God that you haven’t specifically confirmed through scripture—it’s definitely time to pick up the Good Book and have a good look at who God really is.
A tragic number of people today have an incorrect idea of who God really is
Let me give you some starting hints (from the Bible, of course)
- God knows everything: 1 John 3:19-20
- He is the creator of everything: Act 17:24-26
- He is bigger than we can fathom: Romans 11:33-36
- He is the righteous judge: 2 Timothy 4:8
- God demands perfection: Matthew 5:48
- He is mighty enough to make you faultless: Jude 24-25
- God is the one who saves: Ephesians 1:3-10
2) Reading the Bible helps you know what God wants.
This might come as a complete shock but God’s main concern is not your happiness.
“What?!” you say. “Why wouldn’t God want me to be happy?”
Why do we assume we can just ask God for anything we want without really knowing him?
It’s not that God wants you to be unhappy, but look at all the things that make us “happy” that aren’t good for us. I’m happy when I’m stuffing my face with chocolate cake that has an inch of frosting on top. You might be happy spending an hour on social media instead of studying for your chemistry exam. Lots of people are happy looking at porn or engaging in daring sexual relationships.
Sin often makes us happy, at least for a while, but it also makes us selfish, hurts ourselves and others and, worst of all, draws us further from God. Sometimes as far as the gates of hell.
If you always thought God just wants you to be happy, then take a look at these verses.
- God desires for us to seek and find him: Acts 17:24-28
- He wants for us to have eternal life with him: Romans 5:8
- He commands that we not only believe in him, but love others as well: 1 John 3:23
- He expects us to follow his commands: Luke 6:43-49
If you read your Bible before you pray, you will know who you’re talking to and your prayers will not become stale. (But here’s the cool thing: You can have both holiness and happiness. See The Holy Teenage Life: Real Faith, Real Happiness .)
What About the Advice That Says I Should Pray Before Reading the Bible?
It’s absolutely true—but we’re talking about a different kind of prayer here. (There are several—read about them in Have a Richer Prayer Life By Friday). Instead of focusing on you, praying before reading scripture is all about asking God to help you focus on him—to open your eyes, heart, and mind to his word and will.
Need a starting prayer before reading the Bible? This article from the Gospel Coalition can help.
One More Thought…
Reading the Bible will make your “gut instincts” more accurate.
The Israelites during Moses’ day had the benefit of hearing God speak and answer prayer directly. That’s not how God operates today. Yes, he is capable of talking to you in your dreams but most of the time he’s more subtle. Beware of acting upon feelings or even your gut instincts. (“I felt God telling me to quit my job and start my own business.”)
If you are not getting a regular diet of God’s Word—studying and meditating on it—that “feeling” is more likely to be from your own desires and sinful nature.
Drench yourself in his Word and you’ll become aligned to his will. This is how he speaks to us today, and the Holy Spirit comes through hearing God’s Word. Reading the Bible will make your “gut instincts” more accurate.
Read the Bible Before You Pray: Start Today!
You don’t have to have all the answers.
But, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
Check out my multitude of articles on the topic of prayer and Bible reading:
Thank you, Lauren on your writing of why it is so important to read God’s Word before we pray. Thank you for all the Bible references. Very helpful! What blessings we have in all He has done. ✝️ It is a blessing to “raise our hands twice!” ?
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