HH, Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div [wpedon id=”36898″]
KEY TWO: STUDY THE BIBLE
It naturally follows that praying to the true God involves believing what He says. And we find His words—instructing human beings how they should live—in the Holy Bible. It reveals essential knowledge that we could not acquire in any other way. It is God’s “Instruction Manual” for humanity. It tells us who God is, what He is like and how we ought to serve Him. In its pages, we find God’s own instructions as to how we ought to pray to Him.
But you will not receive this full instruction by just “going to church” or by carelessly reading bits and pieces of the Bible for comfort or inspiration. God commands us in His Word,
‘Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15).
To know God, to understand His will and to believe in His promises, you need to regularly study His inspired Word in an orderly way—just as you might study a science textbook or a volume on history. A good place to start is the book of Matthew—the first book in the New Testament. Read it through slowly and carefully—noting what Jesus actually said, paying particular attention to the many examples of answered prayer.
It is beyond the scope of these messages to thoroughly prove the divine inspiration of the Bible. But if you really want to, you can prove that the prophecies given only in the Bible have either already been fulfilled in literal detail in the past, or are now beginning to be fulfilled in this exciting end-time age in which we live. When you understand the detail and the breadth of these prophecies, you can see that God practically signed His name to the Bible—clearly showing that this book is of divine inspiration! The Apostle Paul wrote:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
So when you read specific promises in the Bible, ask for the Almighty to fulfil them in your life. When you see that Jesus and others asked for certain things, realize that this is an example for you to follow. In all your prayers, follow the example of Christ and the Apostles. Let your prayers be the same as theirs when you face similar trials and difficulties.
What about King David of Israel and the other great prophets of the distant past? Their heartfelt prayers and the awesome deliverance God granted them likewise instructs us and bolsters our faith:
“Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11).
One of the reasons King David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14) is not only that he obeyed God, but that he walked and talked with Him and constantly worshipped and adored Him. You will clearly see this attitude all through the Psalms:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.” (Psalm 104:1–2, 33).
Leaving behind the memorized, often meaningless, prayers of mainstream religion, begin to really study the teachings and examples relating to prayer in your own Bible. Let the inspired Word of God teach you how to pray and what to ask for. And believe the teachings and the promises you find in that holy book.
