Lesson Twenty-Three

HOW TO CONTACT THE LORD

BY READING THE BIBLE (2)

Burden to Impart:

Growth in our spiritual life requires the nourishment of God's Word. As we feed on His Word through our reading of the Bible in a regular way we will find that we are growing, both in our spiritual life and in our understanding of God's Word. We do not need a "good feeling" to assure us of our growth and profit as we read the Word. We simply need to feed and read in a steady way. We will grow.

Memory Verse: "Your words were found, and I ate them, and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart..." (Jeremiah 15:16).

Facts to Teach:

  1. A good example of one who grew up strongly in God's Word is Timothy. From a "babe" he grew up with God's Word. This was mainly because his mother and grandmother fed him with the Word and taught it to him (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14-15).
  2. When he was older the apostle Paul, his spiritual father, told him to continue on in God's Word by reading it and diligently studying it (1 Tim. 4:13; 2 Tim. 2:15) on his own.
  3. A few practical points will help in the reading of God's Word:
    1. Try to obtain your own Bible (not just the New Testament).
    2. In order to make it easier to develop the habit of reading the Bible, consider when would be the best time of the day for you to regularly read the Bible; i.e., make a plan.
    3. Start by reading the New Testament, beginning with Matthew. Do not jump around to different places. Use a book marker and continue on each day where you left off the day before. It helps to have a goal when you read (Don't make your goal too hard!) perhaps one chapter each day. If you do not reach your goal one day, the next day simply continue on where you left off. Try your best to keep to your scheduled time! Soon it will not be so hard; it will be a good habit.
    4. As you read the Bible, have a pencil handy. When you find a verse that is especially meaningful to you, underline it.
    5. When you find a verse or two that especially draws your attention, pause and chew on them by pray-reading. By pray- reading we are brought deeper into the Word by mingling our reading with prayer. Since the Word of God is spirit and life (John 6:63) we need to use our spirit as we read His word in order to get the benefit of spiritual nourishment and understanding. As we pray-read we can call upon the Lord's name, say a prayer with the very words we are reading, and say "Amen!" to His Word. We should not expect "a good feeling" to assure us that we are being nourished. As time goes on you will see growth in your spiritual life.