Recently a Christian woman in my daily Bible reading group asked me about what to pray for before we study or read the Bible. Although several things came to mind right away, I felt challenged to search Scripture for what God says about how we should handle and respond to His Word.

As both a student and teacher of God’s Word, there is one passage I’ve been praying for myself for a while:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 ESV

I do not take my calling as a Bible teacher lightly. I constantly feel the burden of correctly handling Scripture. It is THE truth. If I mishandled it, at best I would be distorting God’s truth. And at worst, I would be condoning lies and leading others astray.

After doing this small search of Scripture to write this post, I plan to expand the way I pray. Some of the following requests can be made before you read, some during, and some after.  

Click here for a downloadable printable of the 9 prayers below.

9 Suggestions about What to Pray

1. Understanding of His Truth – The Bible is not just “God’s truth,” it is THE truth. Whether someone recognizes and accepts it or not, God’s Word is the one, eternal truth for all people of all time. However, we need the Spirit’s help to understand it. People without the Holy Spirit cannot understand spiritual things (See 1 Corinthians 2:12-14). But those who belong to Jesus have the Holy Spirit to give understanding. Ask God to teach you and open your spiritual eyes so you can understand His wonderful truth (Psalm 119:18, 34, 125, and 169). (Also see “4 R Bible Study Method for Everyday Use.”)
2. Awareness of sin and true repentance – God’s Word is like the sharp scalpel of a skilled surgeon. It lays bare our thoughts, attitudes, and motivations (Hebrews 4:12), even things we aren’t aware of ourselves (Psalm 19:12). Ask God to expose all sinful thoughts and desires, convict you of sin, and bring you to repentance.
3. Knowledge of His will – God calls us to serve Him and be productive for His Kingdom. There are general commands to follow in Scripture, but we also need His direction for how to specifically live out those commands. Ask God to give you knowledge of His will so you will “honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit” (Colossians 1:9 NLT).
4. Desire and strength to obey – For me, obeying God’s will is often far more difficult than knowing it. The biblical author James reminds us that it’s not enough to know God’s Word, we must also do what it says (James 1:22). But we can also ask for His help. “Don’t let me wander from your commands” (Psalm 119:10).
5. Alignment of thinking with His – What we see, hear, and read shapes our thinking and influences our behavior. We are constantly bombarded with messages from the world, much of which directly conflicts with God and His truth. Ask God to use His Word to change the way you think. Ask Him to align your thoughts about Him, yourself, and the world to His truth (Romans 12:2). (Also see “Do You Have a Christian Worldview?“)
6. Increased Knowledge of God Himself – Jesus defined eternal life like this: “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3).” Salvation is far more than a get-out-of-hell-free card. It’s about a personal relationship with the God of all creation. God wants us to know Him, so He revealed Himself to us in His Word. Ask God to help you know Him increasingly more (Colossians 1:10). Also ask God to help understand everything the whole Bible teaches about Jesus and His saving work (Luke 24:27).
7. Equipping for God’s work and purposes – God also uses His Word to prepare us for usefulness in His Kingdom (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Ask God to equip, train, and ready you for the work He has prepared for you (Ephesians 2:10). (Also see “4 Ways to Apply Scripture to Your Life.”)
8. Spiritual growth and sanctification – On the night He was betrayed and arrested, Jesus asked the Father to sanctify His followers through His Word (John 17:17). God still uses His Word to make us holy and bring spiritual growth. Ask God to use the truth of His Word to purify your faith and grow your character to reflect Christ (Ephesians 4:12-14). 
9. Passion for His Word – The more we love God’s Word, the more we will read it and follow it (Psalm 119:97). Ask God to ignite a passion for His Word so you desire to know it more. However, sometimes we simply need to begin with discipline. The more we read God’s Word, the more we will love it. 

Do you pray for anything not on my list? I’d love for you to share!

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