Weekly Devotion - "PRAY CONSTANTLY AND STUDY GOD’S WORD" - Oct. 25, 2010

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manager

Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees.
Psalm 119:33a

During the 2010-2011 GEMS season girls and counselors are feeding the fire by making these PASSION disciplines part of their day-to-day lives:

Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
And
Study God’s Word (Psalm 119:105)
Serve others (Ephesians 6:7-8a)
Interact with God’s people (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Open up and talk about God (Matthew 28:19)
Notice God in the Ordinary (Jeremiah 29:13)

Although Pray constantly And Study God’s Word fit neatly within the acronym, the conjunction that joins those two disciplines runs deeper than mere convenience. They’re dependent on one another! Prayer is talking and listening to God and one of the primary ways that God speaks to His people is through His Word. And to rightly hear and understand God’s Word, we need prayer. We should always ask the Author of the book and of our lives to teach us to understand His Word. Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands (Psalm 119:73).

Each time you open your Bible, pray that God will meet you and that you will experience Him in His Word. Be expectant that He will surprise you with a new insight. Anticipate that He will give you new discoveries even within your favorite and most familiar passages!

Within his book When I Don’t Desire God, John Piper introduces the acronym I.O.U.S. to guide our prayers before reading God’s Word.

Incline my heart to You, not to prideful gain or false motive. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain (Psalm 119:36).

Open my eyes to behold wonderful things in Your Word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

Unite my heart to fear Your name. Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name (Psalm 86:11).

Satisfy me with Your steadfast love. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days (Psalm 90:14).

PASSION Step: Each time you open God’s Word stop and pray before you read. Expect God to speak to you.

Triumphant prayer is almost impossible where there is neglect of the study of the Word of God. If we then let the words of Christ abide in us, they will stir us up in prayer.

Reuben Archer Torrey