This is the Truth Network. Encouraging prayer. God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything. On Encouraging Prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray.
And now, here's James.
So Jesus said that people don't live by bread alone, but by every word. That comes from the mouth of God. And so today on encouraging prayer, we're going to talk about how to get more. right, of the Word of God into us, into you, during this season. you know, this season of Lent, James?
Yeah, well the season of Len, of course, is the forty days heading up to Easter. And forty days is a real helpful consideration because it's You know, indicative in scripture of something big that's going to happen. And this is a way that we focus in on our faith in a big way. And when we pray this way, Okay. It helps us keep God close.
Not that He's ever far away, but we stay closer to Him ourselves. But the word that describes this, I hesitate to use because it it sounds so otherworldly.
So what do you mean?
Well, the the word It's meditate. And you know, usually when people think of that word, they think of kind of navel gazing, you know, uh just Focusing entirely inwardly. And when you look at meditation in the Bible, it's It's not that way. Actually, often meditation in the Bible has to do with focusing on the word of God. And the way that it Does it?
is fascinating. Because it The word in the Hebrew, at least one of the words in the Old Testament for meditate, is hagga, and that means to mutter. And sometimes it's used for lions when they growl or. You know, it can be used for a noise a dove makes. And and that tells us that Meditation.
in the Word of God in the Old Testament Is not a quiet thing. Often what what you're doing is you're going over. a verse again and again. And so I thought today what we'd do, Robbie, is we'd talk about some really practical ways. To just be there with the Word of God, not just in the moment.
But as we go through the day.
So how do we do this? You know, how do we do this? And I think the best piece of advice is when we read our Bibles, Keep them open. Keep them open in a place where you will encounter them, if at all possible, you know, as you go through the day. Keep it open on your desk.
Keep it open if you have it in the kitchen. where wherever you may be, Keep it so that you can see what you have read. And of course, you know, make sure that you're. you're underlining what you've read so that you can go back to it. quickly.
And then that's the next thing. Keep going back. And just let your eye fall on that passage. Start to get into the habit. And this will take a little time.
at first. But Keep it open. Keep going back. And then, thirdly, Here we come to the point where scriptural meditation really comes in. Turn it into prayer.
Say it and pray. Pray it. allowed not just the verse What is God doing in that verse with your soul. As you're reading it, what particular specific prayer? or specific need that do you have?
as as you're coming before him with his word. Yeah, that's beautiful, absolutely. as I think about that. What are you trying to tell me? gone, you know, through this.
Because When I think about my own, and it would be a rare day, I don't have something I keep going back to. It's often trying to discern why do you have me here, God? What are you trying to show me? What am I missing? Right?
Right. And of course the Word of God, you know, I mean, sharper than a two-edged sword, so often convicts us, God's Spirit convicts us as we read it. And usually that is in the area of very specific sins.
So Oh, now you had to go and start preaching. Yeah. But sometime, if you're in a quiet, private place, make sure. that you are talking about those aloud. with God.
I don't know why, but there's something about doing it aloud that brings. A greater reality to it. And I think that's what the Hebrew writers are getting at when you look at this concept of Hagah, this murmuring, if you will. Um you know, in a positive sense, this this uh You know, sort of chewing on the word of God and bringing it before him and talking it through. with him.
And it can be absolutely beautiful and so powerful, the results that we get as a result I mean, you know, when we do this. I love that. I really do. And when you think about right, Song of Solomon chapter 2, right, it said, you know. Let me see your voi your face.
Let me hear your voice because your face is beautiful, right? It's your and your voice is lovely. I mean, it he loves it to hear our voice and It's it's really a one of those places that you go where you're in the secret place with him. Especially if you're talking about really delicate things. Like sin.
Mm-hmm. Think about what Moses told Joshua. Just when Joshua steps into command, he says, Don't let this book of the law depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
And I you know I uh Basically, again, it says the same thing as Psalm 1. If you want to live a blessed life, do this and of course The blessing that it's talking about is Again, living close to God.
So, you know, during this season of Lent, where often there's a lot of self-examination and there needs to be. This is a way to go deeper. with it. you know, and and a way to To let the Word of God deeper in. And I think if we just do these practical steps, keeping our Bibles open.
You know, where we can see them, then going back to them, especially those places that we've underlined. than turning them into prayer and specifically those items that the Holy Spirit is bringing to mind. Um I I really think we'll be blessed if we do this. Amen it'd be a good time to pray for it. Yeah, Father, help us.
Help us in this. Thank you for that promise from your word that you will bless us. Help us, Father, to take this to heart and to speak your word and to just keep coming back. Because you are good and you dwell with those who are lowly in heart.
So we just want to live. before you under your word. In Jesus' name. Oh man. Amen.
You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.
