How prayer can enrich your Bible reading

One of the most important ways to have a balanced Christian life is to balance your prayer life with your Bible reading.
Psalm 119:147 reminds us of the need to balance prayer with Bible reading, as it says, "I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word."
So when you rise at dawn to pray and read God's word, how do you pray? Here are six key verses in Psalm 119 to guide you:

I. Preparation: What to pray before reading scripture

A. For open eyes (v. 18)
"Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law."

B. For light to your path (v. 105).
"Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path."

C. For discernment (v. 125)
"I am your servant; give me discernment
that I may understand your statutes."

II. Application: What to pray after reading scripture

A. A sin to confess (v. 11)
"I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you."

B. A promise to claim (v. 38)
"Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared."

C. A resolution to make (v. 112)
"My heart is set on keeping your decrees
to the very end." (NIV)

Like a boy who rides his bicycle downhill with gusto, trying to get momentum when he goes uphill, the psalmist expressed his prayer as he dove into the scripture, and then after he read the scripture, he had the momentum to climb the challenging hills ahead, whether it was a sin to confess, a promise to claim, or a resolution to make, knowing that by faith in God's word he could trust God to make a way.
So can you and I.

Inspiring devotional on the character of God

I was attending a writer's conference, and a publisher said that books often sell well because of marketing and famous authors, not because of the quality of the books. Someone asked the publisher to name a book that did not sell well but was such a quality book that he was glad it was published. The publisher said, "Yes, the book is Lord, Show Me Your Glory by Ethel Herr."
The book was out of print, so I ordered it from amazon.com. I'm glad I did.
I spent the year of 2008 going through this devotional (I finished a month early because I read ahead). A wonderful journey it was. The book is divided into 52 chapters to be used as 52 weeks of devotions. But each "Week" actually has two or three qualities of God to study, so it really amounts to about two or three devotionals for each week. For example, Week Four is a devotional on God is Carpenter, Potter, and a Working God, Week Twelve is on God as Living Bread and Manna, and Week Twenty is on Discipliner, Teacher/Master and Rabbi. You get the idea.
Herr has a very descriptive writing style. For example, in Week Eleven she describes God's omniscience by saying, "grace without God's omniscience would be as elusive as a hollow wind whistling through the broken window panes of an empty church" (p. 72). She also has keen insights into the character of God. In Week Eighteen, she says this about God as Resurrection and the Life: "So, when He chooses to let our dreams die so He can give us a resurrection rather than a healing, we sometimes feel abandoned" (p. 114). Each section lists scripture readings for further meditation on that particular quality of God. I found that looking up those scriptures was almost as enriching as the text of her book.
The experience of going through this book will help you understand the character of God in a powerful way. If you are looking for a practical devotional that is all about you and how you live your Christian life, this is not it. But if you are looking for a devotional that will make you forget yourself and will leave you in awe of our wondrous God, bowing before Him in worship, then find a used copy of this rare gem of a book online and order it.