Prayreading the Bible

In the Science Fiction book Fahrenheit 451 a negative utopia is imagined where books are banned, all being burned up. At the end the hero escapes off into the forrest to join a counter culture movement of "Book People". Each one of these "Book People" have committed themselves to thoroughly memorize a book seeing that society is destroying all books.

It is not too much for Christians to realize that today God needs a "Book People" of His own. Perhaps not for memorization, though that is good too. But to PRAY over and with The Book - the Bible. The downward tide of corruption is so strong that the Christians need to thoroughly assimilate the words of the Bible by means of a praying heart.

This is not new by any means. But its times has really come. So Paul said to take the word of God "by means of all prayer, praying at EVERY TIME in spirit and watching unto this in all perserverance and petition concerning all the saints."

Paul's exhortation is not only to receive the word of God by means of all prayer. It is to be "watching unto this". In other words he exhorts the Christians not to lose this, to guard this, to WATCH for the preservation of such a practice.

We not only can READ "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." (John 1:1) We can turn the passage instantly into our prayer. Here is a hypothetical example:

"In the beginning was the Word .." Lord Jesus we praise You. You Lord were in the beginning as the Word. Praise the Lord that the Word was in the beginning. Lord God today may we begin also with the Word. Thank God the Word is a new beginning.

"And the Word was with God. And the Word was God." Lord we praise you that you were not only in the beginning. You were with God and are God. Praise the Word of God. Praise the Word Who is always with God. Lord your Word brings God to us. Your Word, Lord, is our new beginning. Praise You."

"He was in the beginning with God ..." Lord you are with God. I have you and I have God. I have your Word and I have the Word Who is God Himself. Lord God may others receive this Word."

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." Lord, in You is the divine life. Lord we come to You for the eternal Life. Lord LIFE us. Lord God impart Your own divine Life into us. Lord praise You that Your life is the light of men. Amen. "And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it."

Lord God NO darknesss overcomes You. No darkness overcomes Your life. Lord Your life is MY light. Praise God the life of Christ is the light of men. The light of Your life shines in the darkness - overcomes all darkness. Lord in You there is no darkness at all. Lord today, fill me with Your life. Lord fill me with Your light of life."

You see, I am showing you how to mix your reading of the Bible with your praying. The Bible is a prayer book. You needn't always worry about making up such original words. Just to pray back the words of the Bible to God is a tremendous prayer.

Like David who said so many times in Psalm 119 - "according to Your word" - to pray the word of God is to affirm all things "according to Your word". It is to put the word of God back into the face of God and affirm - "AMEN. Lord Thus YOU have said. Lord according to Your own word."

This is the way the believers can become the "Book People" in this corrupted society which is so opposed to living a godly life. We assimilate the word thorugh our praying over the word.

We receive the word [b]by means of ALL prayer. And we even watch unto this - praying and petitioning for all the saints.

Originally posted by jaywill
In the Science Fiction book Fahrenheit 451 a negative utopia is imagined where books are banned, all being burned up. At the end the hero escapes off into the forrest to join a counter culture movement of "Book People". Each one of these "Book People" have committed themselves to thoroughly memorize a book seeing that society is destroying all books.

Right - different books. Not just one.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
Right - different books. Not just one.

Reality is more fascinating than fiction.

Originally posted by jaywill
Reality is more fascinating than fiction.

Genre is not the point.

Originally posted by jaywill
Reality is more fascinating than fiction.

So why do you persist in peddling the really rather bad fiction that is the bible?

The bible is a work of fiction, it is not true, it talks of people who did not and do not exist and
events that not only did not happen but could not happen as well as getting rather basic facts
about the world and reality we live in wrong.


Reality IS more fascinating than fiction.

The way to study and learn about reality is science.

Religion is one of the ways people ignore and distort reality.

Originally posted by jaywill
Reality is more fascinating than fiction.

Should there be concern about idolizing the Book, making it a false god?

Originally posted by JS357
Should there be concern about idolizing the Book, making it a false god?

Should there be concern about idolizing the Book, making it a false god?

I once attended a Coptic Church service in which the participants were each to kiss the Bible. I did not feel to do so. So I simply refrained from doing that.

I have not had many experiences where I thought the Bible was being used as an idol. On another occasion a group of young people were attempting to cast a demon out of a person. They felt to all pile their Bibles onto the person's body. It struck me as a little odd. I may have participate and gone along with the group. But one never has to remain at the same level of immaturity in such things.

There is so much benefit here in mixing our prayer with reading of the Bible. Is it the natural reaction of some to immediately look for the negative side of Christian things ?

I have confidence in the Holy Spirit, that He will guide us.

It is interesting that Jesus Christ Himself prayed with the word of God. His prayer to the Father was fortified with the Old Testament Scripture.

On the cross His cry to the Father were the actual words of the Hebrew Bible. Brother Andrew Murray explains how the Word supplied the material for the prayers of Jesus Himself:

Think of the Lord Jesus. In His your and manhood He treasured the Word in His heart. In thetemptation in the wilderness, and on every opportunity that prewented itself - till He cried out on the cross in death, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46) He showed that the Word of God filled His heart. And in His prayer life He manifested two things: first, that the Word supplies us woth material for prayer and encourages us in expecting everything from God. The second is that it is only by prayer that we can live such a life that every word of God can be fulfilled in us.

[Andrew Murray, The Prayer Life (Chicago: Moody Press, pp.88-89 ]

Jesus prayed out part of Psalm 22 in His crucifixion. And He also uttered part of Psalm 31 - "Into thy hands I commend my spirit." (See Luke 23:46)

Jesus chose to conclude His life by uttering the Word of God. In His greatest agony it was the Scripture that offered His only solace. What an example He is to us.

If the Word of God dwells in us richly, we can utter out the effective prayer fueled by the very words of God. Even the Son of God breathed out His last words in the form of the Psalms rather than His own words. This was the culmination of a life of praying with and over the Word of God.

Tertullian (A.D. 160-220) of North Africa was a strong defender of the Christian faith. He said the believers should bring to God what he called "enriched prayer". He said the praises found in the Psalms would enrich prayers.

In his Treatise Concerning Prayer he also wrote:

" Lest we should be as far away from the ears of God as we are from His precepts, the recollection of the precepts [such as Mattew 5:24] paves the way to heaven for out prayers ..."

Familiarity with the word of God and the interweaving of His word in prayer is a kind of pavaing the way to Heaven. We pray back God's word to touch God's heart and come before His throne.

Another example from Church history is a prayer in a letter by one Clement to the Corinthians . This first century prayer is "full of Scriptural remioniscences" and full of memories of the Psalms, prophets, and gospels.

Clement turned scriptural phrases one by one into his petition to God. Here is a portion of his written prayer along with the Bible passages that supplied his utterance:

" ... open the eyes of our hearts [compare Eph. 1:18] that we may know Thee [compare. Phil. 3:10], who alone abidest Highest in the lofty, Holy in the holy [comp. Isaiah 57:15 ]; who layest low the insolence of the proud [comp. Isa. 13:11 ], who scatterest the imaginations of nations [comp. Psa. 2:1, 9 ]; who [i]settest the lowly on high [ comp. Job 5:11 ], and bringest the lofty low [comp. Isa. 10:33[/b] ]; who makest rich and makest poor; who killest and makest alive [comp. 1 Sam. 2:6-7]; ... Let all the Gentiles know that Thou art God alone [comp. 2 Kings 19:15 ], and Jesus Christ is Thy Son [comp. Matt. 3:17 ] and we are Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture [comp. Psa. 79:13[/b] ]

[/i] Clement interweaves the Word of God with his prayer. It is a reading and praying mingled together. And it is quite effective for gaining audience with God and personal as well as corporate building up of faith.

The whole Bible is opened to us as the fuel to ignite our prayers to God.

The best we can say to God is prayer is what he has said to us. God's promises, as they are the surest guide of our desires in prayer, and furnish us with the best petitions, so they are the firmest ground of hour hopes, and furnish us with the best pleas. "Lord, thou saidst thus and thus; and wwilt thou not be as good as thy word, the worp upon which thou hast caused me to hope ?"
[ Matthew Henry , Exposition of the Old Testament ]

Matthew Henry's excellent advice is draw from the example of Jacob praying back to God what God had spoken to him in Genesis 32:12 and Genesis 28:14; 22:17.

And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which said to me, Return to your country, and to your kindred ..."

Jacob, after repeating to God what God had told him, then went on to confess his unworthiness andpetitioned for God to deliver him from his brother Esau. This was an excellent praying over God's word in a man's stressed situation.

Sometimes in prayer we may not know what we should say. Our best petitions are based on God's words to us. And by prayreading them we both remind ourselves, God, and are furnished with strong ground for boldness to speak to God. For God needs no reminding of what He has said, but our wavering hearts are strengthened by rehearsing His word.

C.H. Spurgeon also commented in Jacob's two prayers to God which were fortified with God's promises:

Now, the two pleas which Jacob used were God's precept and God's promise. First, he said, "Thou saidst unto me, Return unto thy country and to thy kindred" : as much as if he out it thus: - "Lord, I am in difficulty, but I have come here through obedience to thee. Thou didst tell me to do this; now, since thou commandst me to come hither, into the very teeth of my brother Esau, who omes to meet me like a lion Lord, THou cannot be so unfaithul as to bring me into danger and then leave me in it." This was sound reasoning, and it prevailed with God. Then Jacob also urged promise: "THu saidst, I will surely do thee good."

Jacob's powerful prayer was strongly reasonable. This is what praying with the word of God can do. It is not too much to say that one can challenge God with His own words. Didn't Jacob pray God's promises back into God's face ? Jacob was scared to death of his brother Esua's vengence. If you have never read the story of Jacob and Esau you may grin when you see how God took care of the whole vendetta situation Esau had against Jacob.

Someone earlier was talking about if God had a sense of humor. Well, humor is usually based upon surprise. And the way this anxiety of Jacob was handled by God's sovereignty is such a surprise, I know I must have chuckled within the first time I read Genesis 32,33.

My main point is how powerfully reasoned is the way of praying with God's Word in making petition to God. We have great boldness because we pray based upon His own speaking. Both our hearts are sanctified, our souls transformed, and God acts upon our faith in Him.

Originally posted by jaywill
My phraseology is imperfect. For now I want to write about the benefit of praying with the words of the Bible. To get sidetracked talking about "other ways" at this point I will avoid.

What it a good practice though, is to have two Bibles for reading. One you feel free to mark up with pen or pencil with many study notes. This Bible may be studied with ...[text shortened]... your time by these two approaches. That's all I feel to say about "other ways" right now.

I have a followup that is better understood if I quote from your first post on this thread: "The best way to understand the Bible is with the aid of the same Spirit that produced the Bible. Since the Spirit of God "breathed" out the words of Scripture the best way to take in the words of Scripture is prayerfully, touching that same Spirit of God."

I think what you say here is indeed important to the faithful, as CS Lewis advised in his book on the problem of pain, the the issues have to be approached with faith in place. (I imagine that faith plays a large role in any "treatment" of problems, from the medical to the spiritual.)

It seems to me that you would agree that most if not all of the criticisms of the Biblical God that we see here, come from a reading of the Bible that does not follow this best way. Why is it that readings of the Bible that do not follow this best way, seem always to take it in erroneous and negative ways? At least, those who approach it without faith, don't seem to get faith from the reading of it. Instead they seem to leave it with greater doubts and skepticism.

Originally posted by JS357
I have a followup that is better understood if I quote from your first post on this thread: "The best way to understand the Bible is with the aid of the same Spirit that produced the Bible. Since the Spirit of God "breathed" out the words of Scripture the best way to take in the words of Scripture is prayerfully, touching that same Spirit of God."

I think w from the reading of it. Instead they seem to leave it with greater doubts and skepticism.

I have a followup that is better understood if I quote from your first post on this thread: "The best way to understand the Bible is with the aid of the same Spirit that produced the Bible. Since the Spirit of God "breathed" out the words of Scripture the best way to take in the words of Scripture is prayerfully, touching that same Spirit of God."

Yes. Coming to the Bible should be accompanied with coming to God. Then we can, as Spurgeon put it, "quarry God's Word and use diligently the hammer of prayer".

" ... new veins of precious ore will be revealed to your astonished gaze as you quarry God's Word and use deligently the happenr of prayer" C.H. Spurgeon

"It is a great thing to pray one's self into the spirit and marrow of a text; working into it by sacred feeding thereon, even as the worm bores its way into the kernel of the nut. Prayer supplies a leverage for the uplifting of ponderous truth." C.H. Spurgeon

The believer has the Holy Spirit breathed word of God without and the indwelling Holy Spirit within. Through mixing his reading of the Bible with praying in the Holy Spirit he can mine, quarry, excavate the exhaustless treasures of God's Word in a spiritually living way.

I think what you say here is indeed important to the faithful, as CS Lewis advised in his book on the problem of pain, the the issues have to be approached with faith in place. (I imagine that faith plays a large role in any "treatment" of problems, from the medical to the spiritual.)

God's purpose is to wrought His living and available Son into the hearts of people. The means by which God works the Spirit of Christ into man is faith. The means by which God dispenses His life and nature into man is by faith.

"That Christ would make His home in your hearts through faith" (Eph. 3:17)

This is not sentimental talk. This is actual. This is actually God working Christ Who is today "a life giving Spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45) into the mind, emotion, will, and conscience of people. That is their "heart". And it is through faith that this dispensing takes place.

From our perspective we may think the faith is just that we may endure trial and suffering. Well, that certainly is not wrong. It is for the sake of endurance. But that is not endurance for its own sake. It is endurance that in the trial, through the trial, during the trial God may work Jesus Christ as the pneumatic life giving Spirit into the personality. For it is only the Christ that has been wrought into our beings that is currency of this kingdom of God and the world to come.

So the believer receives Christ in the kernel of his being, his regenerated human spirit. Then Paul prays that all the believers would be STRENGTHENED into that realm for the working of Christ into the SOUL and HEART for the transformation of the person -

"That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, that Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith."

The wonderful thing about prayreading is that we do not need to wait for trials. We do not need to wait for sufferings. Who wants to do that anyway ? But instead of passivity we exercise to be strengthened into the inner man through praying over God's word. Surely, Christ more and more makes His home in the hearts of the believers praying themselves into the Holy Spirit.

It seems to me that you would agree that most if not all of the criticisms of the Biblical God that we see here, come from a reading of the Bible that does not follow this best way. Why is it that readings of the Bible that do not follow this best way, seem always to take it in erroneous and negative ways?

It is good to come to the Word of God with a willingness to be changed. God is into changing people. From you to Christ in you, He is ALWAYS interested in moving.

From YOU to YOU MINGLED WITH JESUS - that is the direction the Bible forever seeks to channel a man.

Some have no willingness to be changed. Some are fiercely self satisfied. Their interest is to justify their fallen Adamic being rather than be sanctified and conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Anyone coming to the Bible all CLOSED up and stubburnly unwilling for the Holy Spirit to touch them will receive nothing from the Bible.

This thread was not mainly to analyze the problems of people so closed up and padlocked in their hearts toward God. Rather this thread was to help those wanting to move in another more benefitial way - to receive Christ, and that so more and more.

One thing I have learned is that the Bible is vast, extensive, and all-incompassing. If I find myself in a closed mood, at least I know where to go to find good passages to read for that problem.

If I feel like arguing with God, at least I know good passages I can prayread which dwell on that kind of mood.

If I am filled with unbelief, at least I know where I may find passages to pray over while reading, to minister to that kind of mood.

When one is very familiar with the Word of God one knows where to get the medicine for all kinds of ailments of the soul. Discouragement, Faithlessness, Fear, Stubborness, Unbelief, Longing to Sin, Weariness with Trying, Disappointment with Brothers, Ambition, Jealousy, Isolation, Independence, Passivity, Apathy, Foolishness, Lustfulness, Pride, Self Pity, Anger, etc. etc. etc.- ALL these kinds of moods are ministered to in various places in this rich Bible.

So I know where to go to pray myself in the word OUT of such evil moods. I am not exempt from any one of them.

Then there is also the WONDERFUL way of simply reading and praying through the Bible consecutively. In this way you need not "hunt" for appropriate passages. By reading and praying from cover to cover you get ALL the spiritual vitamins you need. Without being so concious of it you are taking in all he healthy spiritual nutrients just by prayreading through line by line, chapter after chapter.

This is like drinking a healthy drink. Without you even knowing it all the vitamins you need are being supplied to your body. The Word God is the same. As long as you are touching the Holy Spirit deep wthin while you read and pray, pray and read, pray over what you read, pray with what you read, etc. Christ the HEALTHY ONE in the Universe is being wrought into your whole being.

The old is being flushed OUT. And the new is being imparted.

At least, those who approach it without faith, don't seem to get faith from the reading of it. Instead they seem to leave it with greater doubts and skepticism.

I don't have in myself any more faith than any skeptic here. They may think I have reserved in myself some great supply of faith. I really am not much unlike them. However, I know where I can go to be supplied with Faith. That is to the Word of God.

"So faith comes out of hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Rom. 10:17).

Hearing the word of Christ can furnish the seeker with faith. I have no advice for the one who is not seeking but is eager to RID Christ and God from their existence.

But the seeking one cried out to Jesus "Lord I believe. Help thou my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).

Weak faith is powerful. Small faith can come seeking to be made stronger. What is REAL may be small. But what is REAL may be of eternal endurance and lasting. So we should not despise the day of small things. And even small faith as a mustard seed can grow to branch over mountains of spiritual obstacles.

If any skeptic would beging to PRAY over the words of Paul's letter to the Ephesians - if even for five minutes each morning, I believe after a week they would know in the depths of thier being WHY they exist in this universe.

Praying over the words of a high book like Ephesians is wonderful, as long as we pray / read with a willingness to be changed by Jesus Christ.

Originally posted by jaywill

Should there be concern about idolizing the Book, making it a false god?

I once attended a Coptic Church service in which the participants were each to kiss the Bible. I did not feel to do so. So I simply refrained from doing that.

I have not had many experiences where I thought the Bible was being used as an idol. On an ...[text shortened]... side of Christian things ?

I have confidence in the Holy Spirit, that He will guide us.

This sounds something like the story of the witches in which robbie put one of his JW Bible tracts on the center of the demonic symbols of the witches. FMF thought that was showing contempt for their religion and wondered why he would do such a terrible thing.

Originally posted by Rajk999
By far the best way to understand the Bible is to have God in your life, and to have Christ make his abode with you.

How?

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Did you understand that verse? ...[text shortened]... s and do good works.

[Note : 'You' is a general expression for people not you personally.]

The commandment to love God is the same as the first commandment given to Moses for the children of Israel for them to have no other gods. For Christ said, "If you love Me (God) you will keep my commandments."

Originally posted by RJHinds
The commandment to love God is the same as the first commandment given to Moses for the children of Israel for them to have no other gods. For Christ said, "If you love Me (God) you will keep my commandments."

I'll have to comment latter.