Hah. You thought I was finished blogging through the Bible in 90 Days. So did I. But something I read earlier today caught my attention.
I’m currently reading Mark Batterson’s newest book, Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. In it he writes:
The Bible isn’t meant to be read reactively. It is meant to be prayed proactively. There are thousands of promises waiting to be claimed.
So many people struggle with cultivating a prayer habit simply because they don’t know what to say. Their prayers consist of overused and misapplied Christian cliches. Or they feel like prayer is a one-way monologue. The truth is, the Bible is God’s way of initiating a conversation with us. And it turns prayer into a dialogue. God talks to us via Scripture, then we talk back. Not only does it give you plenty to talk about, but also when you pray the Bible, you pray with more confidence because you’re not just praying your words. You’re praying the Word of God.
I’ve been chewing on this thought today, realizing that there are times when I have prayed the Bible. Certainly many books and passages are much more conducive to prayer – the Psalms and some of the Old Testament prophets come to mind. But even the assorted stories throughout Scripture can be conducive to prayer as well, because those stories reveal something about us and our relationship to God. Often, those stories show us how screwed up our lives can be if we don’t allow Christ into our lives.
Look at the woman who touched Jesus’ robe in Mark 5. She believed in his healing power, and had the faith to step forward to simply touch his cloak, believing that the simple touch would heal her. And it did.
How can I pray that passage? By praying for a similar act of faith in my own life. What needs healing in my life? What needs healing in yours? How can we touch Jesus’ cloak today and be healed in a way similar to that woman?
Certainly, I learned a lot of head-knowledge of the Bible in reading it over the past 90 days. But what I now want is to be able to pray through what I’ve learned and find ways to apply it in my own life. I want to live what I’ve learned.
To go back to Batterson, he writes:
God doesn’t just want to speak to you through Scripture; He wants to speak through you. He wants to write His-story through your life. And Scripture is the script. Read it. Meditate on it. Then live it out.
My thanks to you for indulging me as I’ve read through and blogged through the Bible over the past three months. I am humbled and honored that you have actually read my assorted ramblings during my adventure through this book. I pray that one (or even a few of you) might even take the plunge and read the Bible yourself to see the beauty and meaning of a life in Christ.
Talk to you again soon.
Hello,
Just want to find out what you thought about reading the “Bible in 90 days”. I am debating on have a group of women do this program. I like to hear any suggestions and additional comments.
Thanks
Verona, I highly recommend it. We did “The Bible in 90 Days” as a church – a large majority of our congregation participated, and many finished in 90 days, with several more taking longer (95 to 100 days). The main thing is to just do it – it’s challenging (12 pages a day), and even if you take a little longer, THAT’S OKAY. At the end, you’ll have read it in a very short period of time.
Also, by doing it in a group, you help keep each other accountable, encouraging each other, and many of us talked about what we read when we saw each other.
Don’t worry about getting caught up in the details – just keep reading. Make a note of your questions, and blaze through. The idea is just to read it as God’s Story, cover to cover. And HAVE FUN! GO FOR IT!