Pastor Steven Becker • February 28, 2025

A Simple Prayer Before You Open Your Bible


  As a child, I was taught that my attitude was just as important as my actions. Obeying with the wrong spirit is hardly pleasing to the Lord. It’s been said that “attitude determines altitude”. Getting into the study methods, tools, and tips for Bible study is pointless without developing the right spirit before you even open your Bible.


  Allow me to submit to you a simple prayer to pray before you open God’s perfect Word. I read a list like this from a preacher when I was either a teenager or in college, and it has stuck with me. To the best of my ability, I have tried to pray a similar prayer to these points before I read the Word of God. When my attitude is hungry, tender, and right, it has paid tremendous dividends in my personal time with the Lord. I don’t recall the author that gave me these truths, but the truths made an imprint on me, and I pray that it will help you to “set the table” for your time with the Lord each day.


  1. “Lord, I want to get something out of my Bible today.”


  Jeremiah 15:16 – “Thy words were found, and I did eat them…”

 

  Standing in front of the pantry with food on every shelf, I’ve often thought, “We have nothing to eat”. That wasn’t the truth. The truth was that I didn’t want what we had. I was hungry, but I was hungry for what I wanted, not for what was available to me.


  Are you hungry for God to speak to you? If you are truly hungry, you’ll consume what God has given to you. Let me tell you that His pantry is full and you will be glad to take what He has for you.


  2. “Lord, I believe that you can show me something today.”


  Isaiah 55:11 – “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”


  Sadly, many will open their Bible with a defeated mentality. They may not say it with their lips, but with their heart they say, “I don’t know if I’ll ever understand this”. That is the way of unbelief. Jesus passed through towns in His ministry and did nothing, not because He wasn’t able, but because they didn’t believe that He was able. God can help you if you have faith in Him and His Word.


  3. “Lord, I will immediately receive what you show me today.”


  Acts 17:11 – “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind…”


  Our society programs us to be critical. You know that every promotion and advertisement usually has a catch and you are prepared to find the fine print before you go forward. “Do your homework”, you are told or you may make a terrible decision.


  God’s Word is perfect. God’s Word has no flaws. God’s Word has heavenly wisdom above anything this world can provide. God’s Word shows you the mind, the heart, and the way of the Lord. Knowing this, and more, you can and should receive what God shows you without hesitation.


  4. “Lord, I will determine to put in to practice what you show me today.”


  James 1:22 – “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”


  Hypocrisy is the definition of a Christian who shouts “AMEN!” in the church house but lives for the world in their own house. Put into practice what God gives you. After all, this is the purpose of your Bible time. You and I are wasting our time if we are reading for knowledge but fail to put in to practice what God tells us.


  There is nothing groundbreaking here, but I would challenge you to see the drastic effects that a prayer like this would have in your personal time with the Lord if we approach His Word this way.

OLDER POSTS

5 Tips to Build a Bible Routine

By Pastor Steven Becker • February 20, 2025
 1. Set a time. Schedule it. I realize that words like plan and schedule might give an aneurism to some. Setting a plan is really saying, “This is a big priority in my life and I want to make sure that I get it done. I don’t want it to fall through the cracks, so I better set aside time to do this.” Choose a time of day that is best for you . Morning is a great way to start the day. Some say, “Bible before breakfast”. Maybe you are at your best at night. Let me encourage you to focus more on the quality of your time in the Word than the time of day. You’re not a better Christian because you read your Bible at 5 a.m., and you are not a lesser Christian because you read your Bible at 8 p.m. once the kids are asleep. 2. Choose your weapon. Remove distractions . Turn on that “do not disturb” setting on your phone. You’ll be amazed at how many things will come to mind during this time to distract you. Make a conscious effort. Choose your weapon . What “Sword” will you use? Your family Bible or an iPad? I’ll admit that I have changed in recent years. Because of the “do not disturb” setting, I read more digitally now than with my physical Bible. 3. Set a goal. Don’t “wing it”. If you don’t have a goal of what book you want to read or how much you want to read, then you are setting yourself up for failure. A friend of mine use to tell me that he just opened the Bible every day and whatever page it landed on determined what he would read. Can this be good? Sure. Is it best? No. Choose a starting and stopping point. If your goal is to read and study a book, set a time frame that you’ll dedicate to that study so you can move on to another book at some point. If your goal is to read the N.T. or the whole Bible in a year, then there are plans for this. For newer Christians, I’d advise reading the Gospels and the New Testament. Another good practice is to read a chapter in Proverbs every day, but I think you’d benefit from reading this in addition to the former readings. For most Christians, I’d advise reading the Bible through every year. The old way works. I love the practicality of the N.T., but there is still much to glean from the O.T. Personally, I love reading through the Bible by reading a couple chapters in the O.T. and reading a chapter in the N.T. each day, along with Proverbs and Psalms for wisdom and encouragement daily. Reevaluate often . This is YOUR walk. You can change it up and alter your plans whenever you’d like. Do you want to read more prophecy? Do you want to study the life of Elijah? Do you want to read through the Bible in 90 days? Make it your own. 4. Be accountable. Choose someone close to you. Your pastor or some speaker that you know is probably not the best person. Be accountable to your spouse, a sibling, a close friend, a Sunday School teacher, or someone that you are close to. Choose someone that sharpens you. It would not be wise to be accountable to someone you just led to the Lord. Maybe you offer yourself as an accountability partner to them, but you need someone that you know that sharpens your walk with the Lord. 5. Carry the Bible with you. What the “big idea”? Every time you spend time with the Lord, He is trying to make you to be more like Him. Do you remember what you read today? Have you thought about it? Did God bring someone in your life throughout the day that is connected to some truth that you read? There is a purpose in your walk and it is to be carried with you in your life. Carry it in your heart. Do you really expect me to bring my Bible to every appointment throughout the day? Proverbs tells us to take the truths of God with us in our hearts. Ask yourself, “What did I read today? What stood out to me? What encouraged me? What is something I need to study more? What can I think about throughout the day?”

Getting The Most Out Of Your Bible

By Pastor Steven Becker • February 14, 2025
Renewing Your Love

5 Reasons I’m Starting a Blog

By Pastor Steven Becker • February 9, 2025
“Another blogger? Really?” Maybe that is a negative way to begin this journey, but those were my thoughts when I first considered starting this journey. So, I’ll answer the question for you that I had for myself when praying about this endeavor. So, why start a blog? 1. Practice makes perfect. I was taught that “practice makes perfect” as a child, and after writing three books, I’ve learned that writing is a developed skill. This skill is one that is a burden on my heart and this blog is the product of that desire. 2. Others. This was the mission of our Saviour. His mission statement is found in Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” If this was His mission, then this should be our mission. God has blessed me beyond measure, and if God can use me to be a blessing to another life, then that will be my mission, too. 3. Every generation needs its own voice. I’ve received counsel on this subject, because I know that there is nothing new that I can bring to the table. This is a challenge for me when I think about writing. “But there are already so many books from better men than me on that subject”, is a thought I’ve had many times. Genesis 26 has spoken to me often on this subject. Isaac had to dig the wells of his father again. Abraham fought some battles in his day, but Isaac had to preserve the wells his father dug and fight for them in his generation. I’m not the voice of this generation by any stretch, but I can be a voice. 4. I’m not busy enough. Sarcasm doesn’t translate as well on paper, but here is my leap. This isn’t just “something to do” for myself. My heart will be committed to these projects. I plan to write on a variety of topics, helps, and honestly, I don’t know how the Lord will lead in the time to come, but this is more than a time filler on my list for each week. 5. Jesus must be lifted up. Jesus said in John 12:32, “ And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. ” The if in that verse is the variable. Will we lift Him up? Who will lift Him up? Many can, but they don’t. There are many times I could have, but haven’t. With the false doctrine, false information, and wordly wisdom circulating in our culture, we need any and all voices that can lift up Jesus to do so. Closing thoughts for this journey… WHAT I PLAN To post weekly. Every Friday. To write on a variety of topics. To be heavy on Bible topics and quiet (maybe not silent) on current trends and philosophical opinions. To use Scripture and wise counsel to be the backbone of this blog. To grow in this journey. WHAT I KNOW I don’t know it all. There are many other great writers. My generation needs more voices for Christ. I have a heart to write. People are searching for truth. God is still at work. WHAT I DON’T KNOW How the Lord will lead me to write. Who will read. How it will bless. WHAT I ASK Read what you can. Ponder as the Lord leads. Comment. WHAT I PRAY “Lord, you know my heart. More importantly, you know the needs in our land and across the world that You created. If I can be a voice for You, may it be Your name that is magnified. I want to be a blessing, and I honestly expect nothing in return aside from others getting help in their walk with You and the Word of God. Use this blog for eternity. In Jesus’ name, I pray this. Amen.”
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