Over the years I’ve read the Bible in manny different ways. Before I could even read starting out, growing up I was taught it in more of a legalistic way. And once I started reading it for myself there were times I read it for what I could get out of it for myself. Then there were times I read it to imply it to others and many other ways I thought was right. The lesson I learned is this. We all perceive and see things according to the condition of our hearts. Our hearts effect intentions. Intention most always determines outcomes if you look to the very core of it. The hard reality about our hearts is they can be deceitful. Which brings us to a hard reality that we can’t entirely trust our hearts all the time and this is why we need Jesus in most everything but especially when reading our bibles to grow and learn in such a way that honors God and not ourselves. For us to truly get from scripture what God intended us to get we must fully rely on the Holy Sprits discernment to show us.
The prayer that changed my life completely and helped me grow the most in relationship with Jesus along side reading the Bible is this prayer. This prayer was deliberate and intentional rite before reading my Bible while reading it on a daily basis intentionally having set time aside for it each day.
“Jesus I ask that you give me your true discernment of the message in this scripture that I’m about to read, to know rite from wrong, what is of You and what is not. Allow me to get from this scripture what You would have me get and not me making it of my own. Help me to wright it on a tablet of my heart (committing it to memory) and give me the courage to apply it to my life. To You be all the honor and glory forever, amen.”
Far greater is He then I. The less I become the greater He becomes living in and through me. Knowing this how could I not continually choose to lessen myself for His glory to serve and honor Him who is above all else. No greater honor is there then to lay down my life for the One who gives life and gives it abundantly. I long for the days when I can count it all joy. Yet still manny are his blessings through long suffering if we chose to live with our eyes wide open to see the blessings in spite of having to also see the things we don’t want to see that cause so manny to live with their eyes shut tightly missing sight of all the blessings we live in. Knowing what He has to offer, how can we afford to not live for Jesus, inviting Him into our hearts and confessing him as Lord and Savior. Without it and works in serving we are bankrupt. We have nothing. Without Jesus we don’t even have sight to see that we have nothing. But with Him we gain sight in seeing and perceiving things we never knew before when we didn’t have Christ living in us. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light.
Brooks Range Bible Camp. Six boys I helped counsel the first week. My heart is full. Two of these young boys asked Jesus to come into their hearts for the first time and I couldn’t be more happy for them!