“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

So, you’re wondering, where do I start? After all, the Bible is a big book! Here’s some helpful places to start. The book of Proverbs imparts practical wisdom to guide our daily decisions. The book of Psalms is also loaded with treasures of truth leading our hearts closer to Christ. 

“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” (Psalm 18:30)

Study specific words and where they are mentioned in the Scriptures. Study specific topics like truth, courage, joy, boldness, prayer, the Holy Spirit, the church, and numerous others. Explore the lives of specific people as they walked by faith such as Abraham, Ruth, David, Joseph, Esther, Daniel, Peter, and Paul. Examine their choices, character, families, and the adversities they overcame. Notice the situations and choices they made which may be similar to situations you are in. Did they obey God? What were the consequences from their choices?

Ask the Lord to give you a specific verses for your specific decision or circumstance. When God gives you a verse of promise, write the date next to text in your Bible. Claiming a Scriptures of confirmation will give you a memorial of assurance when your decision is tested. You can be sure, every decision of faith will be tested! Be extra careful not to make a verse say what you want. Rightly dividing the Scriptures takes hard work! To know a text of Scripture, you must examine the context. To know a word, examine the verse. To know a verse, examine the chapter. To know the chapter, examine the book. Following God’s Word will not always be easy, but it will make your life easier. And remember, the will of God never contradicts the Word of God. They are always in harmony. 

Searching the Word of God is not the only step in discerning God’s Will, but it’s the perfect place to start. Follow God’s Word like you would a compass. Check your compass, then correct your direction. Do it again, and again, and again. Don’t allow impatience or presumption to mislead you. Wait upon the Lord by lingering in His Word. Do not rush. It’s not enough to occasionally glance at the compass. Unless the Word of God is obeyed like a hiker obeys his compass, you’re sure to get off course. Follow the compass of God’s Word day by day, and you’ll discover it is tried, true, and trustworthy—especially when the fog of life descends and the way appears unclear. Trust your compass. 

March 4, 2024 | Dale Montgomery

After three years in Jesus’ presence, one would think the disciples would have mastered the art of praying. This was not the case for them—or for us. No matter how long you’ve followed Christ, the area of prayer needs constant attention. We must remain humble and teachable.

Luke 11:1 “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

After hearing the Lord pray, His disciples desired to pray like Jesus. His prayers inspired them to pray. Do your prayers inspire others to pray? Your spouse…your children…classmates…your church?

“When ye pray”—not “if ye pray.” Every Christian knows they should pray, but few do. Even fewer pray at they ought. Prayer is essential to our faith. F.B. Meyer stated, “The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but un-offered prayer.”

Christ does not expect us to simply recite the “Lord’s Prayer” as a superstitious ritual. Jesus Himself preached against using “vain repetitions.” This passage would be more accurately described as a “model prayer” for His disciples. For Christ, the sinless One, never needed to pray for forgiveness of sin.

Our Lord’s model prayer provides a pattern to help all believers pray as they ought. From the first century to the twenty-first, here’s the way we ought to pray.

1) When You Pray, Start with Praise

Prayer refocuses our eyes from self onto the Lord. Beginning with God in prayer puts everything else in its proper perspective. Focus on God’s nature, “our Father which art in heaven.”

John Bunyan observed, “You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”

Focus on the name of God. “Hallowed be thy name.” The very mention of God’s name ought to bring a smile to your face and a twinkle to your eyes. His name is precious. Speak His name thoughtfully, lovingly, and reverently as you pray.

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)

2) When You Pray, Surrender Your Purpose

Prayer is presenting yourself to the Lord for His service. It is every Christian’s greatest honor to serve the King. “Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” Prayer is reporting for duty to do the will of His Majesty. As the world revolves around the sun, so our world ought to revolve around the Son of God.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

When you surrender your purpose to God’s, you can be certain His plan will far exceed anything you could imagine. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

As we surrender our will to God in prayer daily, our heart maintains an eternal viewpoint. “Thy kingdom come.” Day after day, keep surrendering yourself to God. You’ll be glad you did!

3) When You Pray, Ask for Provision

What physical needs do you have? There seems to be no shortage of physical needs or wants. Food, clothing, housing, transportation are needs God is fully aware of, but He wants you to communicate your needs to Him. “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)

If God cares for the daily needs of animals, you can be sure He cares deeply about your needs also. “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6:26)

When God answers specific requests, share them with your family and church family. It will boost your faith and theirs to speak first hand about God’s power to answer prayer.

Physical needs matter, but our greatest needs are spiritual. Acknowledge and ask for spiritual needs. Seek the Lord for verses of promise, wisdom for choices, increased faith, boldness to witness, grace to represent Christ.

“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

4) When You Pray, Request Pardon

To forgive means to pardon an offense, and treat the offender as not guilty; to release the offender from the offense. This is how God forgives us.

Frequently assess your fellowship with God (“And forgive us our sins”)

A drainage pipe in our house’s air conditioner became clogged. Until the clog was removed, our AC wouldn’t work. Until you clear the clogs of sin in your life, your prayers will not be heard.

Confession of sin is an essential to growing in your walk with Christ. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

5) When You Pray, Intercede for People

“…for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.” Check your horizontal relationships with others. A wrong view of God’s forgiveness, leads to a wrong view of forgiving others.

“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:15) Christ’s forgiveness of you makes forgiving others possible. Forgiveness always liberates the forgiver.

6) When You Pray, Plead for Protection

As you pray, remember to plead for direction away from temptation. Prevention of evil is the best protection from evil. Someone said, “Sin usually comes through a door that has been deliberately left open.”

“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Romans 13:14)

Are you in bondage to sin? Call your sin by name. Your only hope is to plead for deliverance out of the evil. “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)” (2 Corinthians 10:4)

Learning the mechanics of prayer is meaningless if not put into action. E.M. Bounds remarked, “No learning can make up for the failure to pray. No earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack.” The cost of not praying with fervency or consistency will cost you more than you could imagine. You must personally choose to be a person of prayer—no matter the cost.

The first century disciples’ prayer list needs repeating by twenty-first century disciples. Will you let the Lord teach you to pray? Admit when you neglect to pray. Choose a prayer partner. Select a place to pray. The most profitable part of your day is when you stop to pray. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)