A Step-by-Step Process for Understanding God’s WordSample

Pray for Guidance and Clarity

The Bible isn’t a static history book full of outdated information that’s no longer relevant. Not only did God divinely inspire the Bible’s more than sixty original authors to record His message back then (see 2 Peter 1:20–21), but God still speaks and works in our lives through His Word today.

Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:13,

“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.”

Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 3:14 tells us,

“But [the Israelites’] minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil [that prevents them from fully understanding Scripture] remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.”

Yes, we can read the Bible and get some meaning from it on our own. However, to fully understand and benefit from Scripture, we need to go beyond merely reading the words on the page to hearing God speak through His Word.

This is why it is so important to spend time in prayer before we dive into Scripture. We don’t want to be satisfied by merely reading stories, poetry, and wisdom. We want to hear from God Himself. We need Him to speak to us, reveal Himself, and guide our understanding of the text.

Not sure what to pray? You can ask God to give you wisdom and understanding, to guide your thinking as you read the text, to reveal more of Himself and His character to you through its words, and to help you see how to apply Scripture to your life. As we read in James 1:5, these are prayers God loves to answer:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

With James 1:5 in mind, spend some time in prayer, asking God to give wisdom to you generously, without finding fault, so that you might hear His voice through His Word.