On Sunday I had the privilege of leading an ABF class this morning at Walnut Ridge. We looked at the spiritual discipline of prayer, following Don Whitney's book and study guide.
Don writes that healthy meditation on the Word of God is "the missing link between Bible intake and prayer. ... After the input of a passage of Scripture, meditation allows us to take what God has said to us and think deeply on it, digest it, and then speak to God about it in meaningful prayer. As a result, we pray about what we've encountered in the Bible, now personalized through meditation. And not only do we have something substantial to say in prayer, and the confidence that we are praying God's thoughts to Him, but we transition smoothly into prayer with a passion for what we're praying about. Then as we move on with our prayer, we don't jerk and lurch along because we already have some spiritual momentum" (pp. 71-72).
Stop and think about this. Do you ever notice anything like this in your personal study? Reading and reflecting on Scripture naturally translates into prayers to God -- prayers filled with truth about who He is and what He has done.
Tomorrow I'll post an extended quote from George Muller as he recounts the work of the Word and the Spirit in his personal study pattern. Then on Thursday I'll follow up with an example of how we might practice this well.
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