If we are to know God we need to meet with Him every day.
During this time, when we read the Bible, God speaks to us and in prayer we
speak to Him.
This daily meeting is vital and nothing else (however important) e.g. church services, can take its place. This is the time when our faith is deepened, our strength grows, guidance is received and we are prepared for the battle ahead. Naturally nothing is more attacked by the Devil because if our lines of communication with the source of power are interrupted, we at once become helpless.
All the great men of God have taken time regularly to meet with Him (Exodus 33:11, Psalm 55:17, Daniel 6:10, 1 Thess. 3:10). Even the Son of God constantly needed to keep in close contact with the Father (Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12).
God gives us every encouragement to come to Him – His Word with all its promises (e.g. Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 7:7-11, James 4:8, 1 John 5:14), His Son who is our mediator (1 John 2:1, 1 Timothy 2:5) and His Holy Spirit who helps us (Romans 8:26).
This all requires us to set aside a time when we can be on our own with God, when our minds are fresh and we can be our best before Him. Since life is so busy we need to be just as organised about this as about everything else.
But this time is not an end in itself but a means to an end – getting in touch with the Lord who is the secret of life and power.
The more disciplined we are about setting a definite time for God each day, the easier it is to keep in touch with Him during the rest of the day (1 Thess. 5:17) and to abide in Christ (John 15:5).
Let God open the conversation – in other words start with the Bible. This will often show us things for which to thank God or to pray for when we later speak to Him.
The Bible contains different kinds of literature (e.g.
history, letters, psalm, prophecies, poems etc.) written by over 40 different
writers over a period of 1500 years. But it is not just a piece of ancient
literature, it is God’s Word, inspired by Him to teach us and build us up (2
Timothy 2:16,17).
We accept the Old Testament because the Lord Jesus did (Matthew 4:1-11, John 10:35). At the same time He prepared for the writing of the New Testament (John 14:26, 16:13,14).
The Lord Jesus is the centre of the Bible. The Old Testament prepares for and predicts His coming, and the New Testament tells us of His coming, His teaching and, above all, His death, resurrection and coming again, together with their meaning.
We should not be concerned to learn so many facts but to get to know the Lord as we study our Bible (Psalm 119:9,11,105, Matthew 4:4, John 17:17, Acts 20:32, Ephesians 6:17, 1 Peter 2:2).
Obedience to God’s Word always brings His blessing (Psalm 119:165, Isaiah 48:18, John 14:23).
Try gradually to get to know the whole Bible. We need a balanced diet for our spiritual as well as our physical health.
Use a Bible reading scheme with helpful notes.
Pray that God will help you understand the meaning of the passage (Psalm 119:18).
Think as well as pray (Psalm 1:2, 119:97, 2 Timothy 2:7). What does the passage mean in the light of its context and what does it mean to me now? How does it apply to my life? Is there an encouragement for me to take, a warning to heed, a promise to claim, a sin to confess, a command to obey, an example to follow, a new truth for which to give thanks? Try to keep this in mind during the day.
Then try to remember key verses. A notebook, a highlighter pen or a good memory are very helpful here.
Finally, we must ask God’s help to obey what He has taught us (Matthew 7:24, James 1:21-24).
When we pray to God we must be reverent, but at the same time natural and simple in our approach to Him. Remember He is our heavenly Father.
Our prayers should not be a shopping list of things we want from God, but we should be thoughtful and balanced in our attitude. With this in mind many people find it helpful to take five looks when they pray.
* A Look up – Worship So we give to God the glory which is due to His name (Psalm 29:2). We think of His greatness and power and love seen in the created world all around us and especially in His salvation through His Son – Jesus Christ. Our Bible reading may suggest something wonderful about God for which we ought to worship Him. Or we may get help from one of the Psalms or a hymnbook. (These, by the way, are also very helpful when we find our thoughts wandering or we do not feel like praying).
* A Look in – Confession Here we own up to our sins and failures and ask God to forgive us (1 John 1:9). We need to examine ourselves to make sure there is nothing between God and us. Do not pretend, but be honest and open with Him. Unconfessed sin takes away our desire for God and our interest in prayer (Psalm 66:18). Remember that sin does not break our union with the Lord but our communion with Him. “Keep short accounts with God”.
* A Look back – Thanksgiving (Psalm 103:1, 1 Thess. 5:18) We remember all God has given us and done for us – our life, food, homes, families, country and above all, His Son, His Word, His church etc.
* A Look round – Praying for others (1 Samuel 12:23, Romans 1:9) There are people all round us and in the world who are in great need. Above all they need the Lord. We cannot pray for them all every day, so we need a system i.e. prayer list. We should pray for some (e.g. our family) every day, others every week, and others every month, or whenever we can.
* A Look forward – Praying for ourselves (Psalm 34:4) We should talk to God about every aspect of our lives, asking Him to show us His will and grant us His help and blessing. By prayer we express our total dependence on God for everything Nothing is too great and nothing too small to pray about (Philippians 4:6,7, 1 Peter 5:7, 1 John 5:14). As we pray for ourselves, let us remember to give ourselves back to Him each day (Romans 12:1,2), and ask Him to fill us with His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
As an alternative, people sometimes use the word ACTS to remind themselves of the various kinds of prayer – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication.
Finally – Let us not do all the talking. We should listen to God as well as speak to Him (John 10:4). “Listening to God in the quiet place prepares us for service in the busy place”.
