A prayer to pray before studying God's word by Christina Patterson, read by Leah Martin.

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

James 1.

In Hebrew 412 the Bible compares the word of God to a double-edged sword,

showing its ability to cut the heart and change lives forever.

Whenever I pick up my Bible, I feel the weight of this sword and its power.

Makes me feel like a little girl holding a weapon too big to carry.

Handling something so

I never go into something so I never go into studying God's word lightly.

We never should.

The word of God has the power to change minds, heal hearts, and cut out sin.

However, something so powerful handled the wrong way can also cause harm. I never want to be the one using God's word

to cause hurt, pain, or confusion. I'm sure you don't either. For this reason, before I open my Bible and heart to the word of God, I first

open my mouth in prayer to request specific things from God. And over the years of studying my Bible, God has faithfully answered this prayer.

I want to share my prayer with you in hopes it will increase the quality of your time in God's word and help you to handle its truths with clarity and confidence.

I always start off praying for discernment and wisdom.

James 1.5 tells us, 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.

Coming across the scripture I do not understand can be discouraging, but I've found that unlocking the mysteries of scripture starts with prayer. All wisdom. The

all wisdom, knowledge and correct understanding comes from God and he's ready to grant us

understanding if we're willing to ask. This also ensures that I'm receiving God's

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