Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests
to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
The virtue that Paul emphasizes in this text—living a life of replacing worry with the peace of God—is linked to the discipline of prayer. Richard Foster, the author of a classic book on spiritual
disciplines, Celebration of Discipline, has also written a book on prayer, Prayer, Finding the Heart’s True Home. In this book, Foster emphasizes, “the primary purpose of prayer is to bring us into a life of communion with the Father, by the power of the Spirit, to be conformed to the image of the Son. A life of prayer is a life of transformation.”
Transformation means change. Do you know God well enough to trust him to change your character and lifestyle for your good? When you truly know someone, you know how they think, what they believe, what kind of decisions they will make. This is true in our relationship with God. Developing an intimate and trusting relationship with God requires regular contact and communication.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has revealed himself through the writing of the Old and New Testaments, and to know God, we must meditate on what he has revealed. The discipline of meditation is not analysis or technical study. Meditation is allowing the written Word of God to become a living word addressed just to you. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said about meditation, “Just as you do not analyze the words of someone you love, but accept them as they are said to you, accept the Word of Scripture and ponder it in your heart.”
Do you want to be closer to God, to know his love, to know his will for you but you don’t have sufficient desire to set aside the time to develop that relationship? This desire is not something you make happen. It is God’s gift to you. Begin by asking God to place the desire in your heart. Ask and it will be given to you (Matthew 7:7).
With the God-given desire, you will make time for meditating on Scripture and prayer. My favorite time is first thing in the morning. You may find that noon or just before bed is the best time. One way to meditate on the Bible is to read a chapter each day from the Old Testament and from the New Testament. Remember, it’s not a race. I encourage you to read the entire Bible using a good
study Bible, as the notes are very helpful. Our First Church BookCenter has several excellent versions you can purchase.
After completing your daily Scripture reading, spend time in prayer. I have found that I need help keeping my mind focused on prayer. There are some wonderful books to help direct your prayer time. I want to commend one book that has helped me keep my prayer time focused: Face to Face, Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship by Kenneth Boa.
Just as regular exercise is essential to physical health, Scripture meditation and prayer are essential to an intimate relationship with God. There are many ways to direct your Scripture meditation and prayer time. The key is to prioritize a time you will meet with God each day, determine a Scripture reading schedule, and develop your discipline for prayer.
Lord, by your Spirit, create a desire in my heart to set aside time, a place, and a method to read your love letter to me and to pray to you. Create in my heart a longing to know you intimately, to love you deeply, and to serve you with all my strength. Amen.
by Pastor Emeritus Paul Fahnestock
