Bible Study is one of the most important spiritual disciplines we need to practice as Christians. When we do it, we grow spiritually and connect with God more deeply.
But the scriptures are not always easy to understand. We can’t study it the same way we study for a class test. We need guidance from God himself to understand his word.
That’s why it’s essential to have an opening prayer for Bible study. Whether you’re studying the scriptures alone, with a friend, or with a group you need to pray before you start. This glorifies God and shows your reliance on him.
As you commit time to studying the Bible, starting with prayer makes all the difference. Your time will be fruitful, rewarding, inspiring, and enriching.
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Why is an Opening Prayer for Bible Study Important
Have you ever opened your Bible early in the morning or late at night with the hope of reading and studying it then suddenly felt sleepy? That’s because we have a real enemy who fights us and doesn’t want us to grow closer to God through by reading .
The word of God has secrets and mysteries that we need to understand. If you read it like a novel, you will miss its life-changing impact on your life.
When we pray before studying the scriptures, we ask God to reveal himself to us and what he wants us to know, learn and practice. It’s the hidden and deeper meaning of God’s word that we need clarity on.
This is what Jesus Christ said:
And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Matthew 13:11-13 ESV
You can hear the word of God and read it but not understand it. God’s grace is needed for us to grasp the secrets contained in the Bible.
Prayer Before Bible Study Draws Us Near to God
Prayer always draws us near to God. It takes attention away from us to our Father in heaven. Praying before Bible study draws us closer to God as we connect with him and focus on him.
The Lord also draws near to us when we pray. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 ESV
Prayer Before Bible Study Helps us Focus
When you start reading the scriptures, you can get distracted by social media, your phone, or even an innocent child walking in to talk to you.
In a group, you may start to think about the person you need to speak with after meeting or any challenges you’re going through. It’s a spiritual fight for our attention that we can only win in prayer.
Praying beforehand is key so that you focus on the importance of what you’re about to do. As we pray we acknowledge that God is bigger than our struggles, situations, and differences. We put the focus and priority back on the Lord.
Prayer Before Bible Study Invites God’s Presence
Praying creates a godly atmosphere where God can move, speak and work amongst us. His presence will be around us to teach, guide, encourage, and mold us.
This is the promise God makes to us as his children.
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. Matthew 18:20 ESV
Prayer Before Bible Study Makes Us Humble
Instead of trusting in our efforts and intelligence, when we pray, it shows that we ultimately put our trust in God’s wisdom, knowledge, and power.
Praying humbles us before God as we admit that we don’t know it all but God does. God begins to speak to us and we can hear when we’re humble.
Prayer Before Bible Study Unites Us
When we meet to study the scriptures together as a group, we’ll be coming from different places and we’re all going through different things. Some people in the group will be happy, some sad, and some indifferent.
Prayer reminds us that we’re gathered for one purpose alone and that is to learn from God. This unites us and gives us one goal that we can all focus on despite our differences.
Opening Prayer for Bible Study
If you’ve ever been asked to pray before a Bible study, you may feel intimidated, scared, and not sure where to start. That’s normal.
Just remember that God hears prayers and he moves when we pray. He doesn’t just listen to the prayer of a preacher or leader in the church. He’s a loving father who wants to hear from all his children.
When you pray remember to take the focus away from you and what you’re thinking and focus on God alone. This helps me a lot with my nerves!
To assist you to get started, this is a sample prayer that you can use. It’s short and sweet and you can even pray it together with the group.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your word which is living and powerful. We are grateful for your amazing grace which has allowed us to gather here in unity. We ask that you would open our hearts so we can hear you speak to us.
We humble ourselves before you and ask you to help us focus during this Bible study time. Reveal to us the mysteries and secrets in your word so we may connect with you.
Together, we thank you for more knowledge, wisdom, and understanding today and every other day. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Are you looking for some tools and tips to boost your prayer life? If so, be sure to visit our Prayer Resources Library where you’ll find everything you need to become a powerful prayer warrior!
When you pray, remember to start with gratitude and thank God for his word and the grace to be able to read his word and gather with other Christians. We must never take such things for granted as there are other Christians who don’t have this opportunity.
Your opening prayer doesn’t have to be long with fancy and poetic expressions. Our God looks at the heart and how genuine we are when we pray. It’s when we believe what we pray and have faith that God will answer us.
As we trust the Lord to reveal himself, he will honor our hunger and thirst for the truth in the Bible. He wants to reveal the hidden mysteries to us if we open our hearts and let him speak to us.
When we commit to studying scripture, we will grow spiritually and grow together as God’s children.
