JESUS EVERY DAY – PRAY AND READ THE WORD

“Pray and Read the Word”

Psalm 1:1-2

“Listening to gifted, insightful preachers and teachers is critical. Using good references provides important aid. But there is simply no stand- in for studying the Scriptures for ourselves, and doing so for the long haul.” David Mathis, “Habits of Grace”

“A prayerless Christian is like a bus driver trying alone to push his bus out of a rut because he doesn’t know Clark Kent is on board.”
John Piper, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist

1. Delighting in God’s word enables a person to happily fight sin and follow Jesus. (1:1)

• The word helps us not to in the ways of sin.
• The word helps us not to in the ways of sin.
• The word helps us not to in the seat of sin.

“The Law’s beauty, sweetness, or preciousness, arose from a contrast of the surrounding Paganism, we may soon find occasion to recover it. Christians increasingly live on a spiritual island.”  C.S. Lewis, Sweeter than Honey:  Reflections of the Psalms

Prayer Prompt: Jesus, may I read and listen to your Word so I can fight the urge to sin

2. Take an reflection attitude toward reading the Scriptures. (1:2)

“There is a place in Bible reading for the ‘raking’ and gathering up leaves at a swift pace, but when we ‘dig’ in Bible Study we unearth the diamonds. In meditation, we marvel at the jewels.” David Mathis, “Habits of Grace”

Prayer Prompt: Jesus, give me an “unrushed heart,” so I do more than rake the surface of your Word, but I stay long enough to mine the diamonds of your Word.