Prayer is an important stage in Bible Study. It makes our quiet time more of a ‘two-way conversation’: we speak to God and hear from him. I’ve chosen to look at Bible Verses to pray before reading the Bible because I find that praying Scripture helps me to focus.
Why it is important to pray before reading the Bible
I must confess that I am not very disciplined or consistent when it comes to prayer. Often, when it comes to my Bible Study time, I just get straight into reading the text. And this does not set me up for a quality time in the Word.
Can you relate?
Without stopping to pray before digging into God’s Word, it becomes a simple reading task that gets quickly done and as quickly forgotten.
But when I stop to pray, and ask God to speak to me through his word, I am more inclined to focus and listen. This is why I called the first stage in my 5L Bible Study Method ‘Letter’; to remind myself that I am reading God’s letter to me. And the main part of this stage is to pray.
Sometimes, all I need to do is simply ask God to speak to me as I read, but on other occasions, maybe if I have a specific need, a more specific prayer is better.
Reading the Bible should not be taken lightly. In God’s word, we read of its power:
For we have the living Word of God, which is full of energy, and it pierces more sharply than a two-edged sword. It will even penetrate to the very core of our being where soul and spirit, bone and marrow meet! It interprets and reveals the true thoughts and secret motives of our hearts.
So, having a list of Bible Verses to pray before reading the Bible is a great resource to help you begin your Bible Study. I’ve chosen seven, one for each day of the week if you want, to help us prepare ourselves for hearing from God through his word.
For a change, I have chosen to take these verses from The Passion Translation. This is not a version I usually use when doing my Bible Study as it is not a particularly literal translation but more of a paraphrase. But, I sometimes find that looking at a version like The Passion Translation is good when you want to just soak in the meaning of the text – you get to hear the words in a less familiar form (so they have a freshness and newness) and they can often speak more to the heart as they are in ‘your language’ and are more expressive.
All the verses are taken from biblegateway.com where you can find a great selection of translations to compare. For more on Bible translations read my post Which Bible Translation is Best?
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Bible Verses to Pray before reading the Bible
Pray for God to speak to you through his word
The following verse is taken from the account of Jesus speaking to two of his disciples after his resurrection. He explained the Scriptures to them. Other translations use the phrase ‘opened their minds’. This is a great verse to pray as you ask Jesus to ‘open your mind’ or ‘supernaturally unlock your understanding’ to the Scriptures.
He supernaturally unlocked their understanding to receive the revelation of the Scriptures. Luke 24:45
Pray for knowledge and good decision-making
This is a great verse to pray if you are going to God for answers, seeking knowledge and help with making a decision.
Teach me how to make good decisions, and give me revelation-light, for I believe in your commands. Psalm 119:66
Pray for wisdom
Pray that as you read His Word, God will give you wisdom and revelation through his Spirit.
I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation to know him through your deepening intimacy with him. Eph 1:17
Pray for Strength
The Bible is also a great place to go to when we are feeling weak and need his strength.
My life’s strength melts away with grief and sadness;
come strengthen me and encourage me with your words. Psalm 119:28
Further reading: Scripture Plan on Strength for Trying Times
Use the form below to download the 5L Bible Study Methods worksheet and instructions for all 5 stages.
5L Bible Study Method Worksheets
Download the 5L Bible Study Method worksheet and instructions.
Pray for comfort
We can also go to God when we are grieving, sick or under any kind of stress. Often at these times we struggle to find the right words, so this is a great opportunity to have Bible verses to pray before reading the Bible.
In all of my affliction I find great comfort in your promises,
for they have kept me alive!Psalm 119:50
Further Reading: 30 Encouraging Bible Verses about Healing
Ask God to show you how to respond to his word
This is a great verse to help us remember that we need to put into action the lessons we have learned through reading the Bible.
Don’t just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let his Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life! James 1:22
Ask God to remind you of his word throughout the day
And finally, here is a great verse to remind you to keep God’s word in your heart throughout the day.
O how I love and treasure the revelation of your word;
throughout the day I fill my heart with its light! Psalm 119:97
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I hope you find these Bible verses to pray before reading the bible helpful. There are, of course, a lot more verses in the Bible that speak of God’s Word. Do you have a favourite you would like to add? Let me know in the comments.
Further Reading; Devotional eCourse: How to Pray Scripture by Katie Orr
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These are ALL truth-filled Bible verses to pray before reading the Bible. If we would Pray for clarity before reading and studying God’s word I truly believe scriptures would have more meaning to us on both a personal and spiritual level. You did a great job pointing these out to us!
Thank you so much, Angie. I love praying Scripture, just need to remember to do it more often! I agree, prayer is a powerful part of the process of reading and studying God’s Word.
I have been reading Psalm 119:33-35 before reading my Bible, pretty much every morning. I read my Bible (NIV) every day, and when I am done, I pray and give thanks for understanding and clarity of His Word. He never lets me down.
Thanks for commenting, Maryann! Those are great verses to pray.