Read and Pray

I follow some Christian news websites, as well as a few online ministries, and have noticed two things are being promoted highly to help us grow as Christians this year – prayer and Bible reading. To me, this makes perfect sense. How else will we know the Father’s will unless we are in constant communication with Him?
There are now many websites where you can find a Bible reading plan to get you through the Bible in one year. There are also many Bible apps. If that type of program is what will inspire us to read God’s word every day, then I say let’s use it.  
Myself, I like paper. I read the Herald in paper form each week, so, for me, I use a printed Bible that is already divided into daily readings.
The Bible I use is also in chronological order, which gives me the benefit of having the actions of the nations and individuals in a timeline that helps me better understand the overall story from Genesis to Revelation.
I use the Daily Bible with notes by F. LaGard Smith, a retired attorney, professor, and Bible scholar. His summaries before the readings are helpful to me, as he points out important aspects of the content.
I pray that if you commit to reading your Bible daily, you will find it a delight. Please enjoy your time with God and make it a special time to get to know your Father. 
I make a cup of tea or coffee and go to my favorite chair. Some may find it best to read before the busyness of the day begins, or as the last thing before going to bed, so that those things that are read are either with us all day to ponder, or we can ponder on them as we drift off to sleep.
Actually, I enjoy waiting until I have the morning’s chores mostly completed, and I read during my break about 10:30 each day.
When working, I would read my Bible over the lunch hour to still my mind from the frenetic pace of the office. I found that lunch hour reading to be a calming and a wisdom-filled blessing.
If you feel God is tugging at your heart to get to know Him and the story of life better, please respond to that tug and begin reading your Bible today.
When we pick up our Bible with the intention to know our God and our faith in a more intimate way, we would be wise to pray before we begin reading and ask God to direct our minds and hearts as we read His word. 
The Holy Spirit will open our eyes and begin to show us how we fit into the plan God has had since before the world was created. To wrap our knowledge of God’s words in wisdom and understanding, we need to chat with our Father about the meaning of what we read. That is prayer.
Some of us pray with our eyes open, and others feel the need to block out the world, so that we can concentrate more on what we are saying and what God is saying to us. I find I like to use both styles. There are many times I find myself praying as I drive and, of course, driving is best done with clear vision. In the morning, I treasure the sunrise after the dark night, and I cannot take my eyes off that sky as I praise and give thanks to God for each new day.
The posture of prayer is in our hearts as much as it is in the way we sit, stand, walk, or move while praying. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing, so we can be in any posture for prayer as we move about our day and speak with our God.
A more intense prayer may find us on our knees or seated as we cry out to God our questions and requests and praises. Let us “Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 & 18).
Prayer fills many of our needs. We get to increase our fellowship with God who created us. We can have our souls cleansed from our sins by repenting and seeking the gracious forgiveness of God. We can learn to live in the holiness of Jesus as we partake in communion and prayer in remembrance of Him. We can lift up our own and other’s needs for God’s touch. There is nothing we cannot bring to the Father as we seek His will and ask for understanding.
This is a new year and a time of renewal for all the Earth.
I pray it will be a time when many Christians will desire to grow in our faith and understanding of God’s design for our lives and the lives of those around us by praying more and reading His word daily. May you be blessed mightily by your time with the Father. 
ED. NOTE: Amy Patsch writes from Ocean City. Email her at writerGoodGod@gmail.com.