Ask God to Speak to You

“Ask God to speak to you as you study the Bible.” Many years ago, the words of Dr. Curtis Vaughan caught my attention as we were studying 1 Peter.

Ask God to Bring Scriptures to Life

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 1:19-21

Dr. Vaughan taught from a simple premise. The same Holy Spirit that inspired the writers of Scripture could inspire the readers of Scripture. At that time in my spiritual journey, I was familiar with: 

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

The concept of God-breathed has always been akin to inspired in my mind. So, when I read, “… men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit,” a picture captured my imagination.

Catch a New Wind

Later, during my work in Hong Kong, I enjoyed limited attempts to sail in Victoria Harbour. As the wind hit my face, the city’s beauty against the mountain backdrop blended into a cacophony of colors. On a pleasant sailing day, that wind filled the sails and carried us across the waters effortlessly. 

When both Paul and Peter dipped into their minds for words to describe the Spirit’s work in inspiration, they used the same terms other writers had used to describe the wind filling a ship’s sails and carrying it across the waters. The Holy Spirit filled the writers’ hearts, captured the writers’ personalities, and used their relationships with God to pen the Word of God. 

Seek the Presence of God

These days I sit in my chair, open the sacred text, and try to ferret out the truths by which God would have me live. Dare I dive into the Scriptures without opening my heart to the God who inspired the writers? 

Over five decades ago, when I was dating my wife-to-be, we lived in different cities. She wrote to me often. Racing to the mailbox, I grabbed her letters, smelled the envelope to see if it carried her fragrance, and opened it to explore her message. Then as I read, she filled my thoughts. I longed to know what she was thinking as I hoped she was thinking about me. In the same way, shouldn’t God be foremost in our minds when we explore his words?

Ask God to Stir Your Heart

Before reading Scripture to his congregation, John Calvin would pray:

O Lord, heavenly Father, in whom is the fullness of light and wisdom, enlighten our minds by your Holy Spirit, and give us grace to receive your word with reverence and humility, without which no one can understand your truth. For Christ’s sake, Amen.

Peter Kennedy, Generation to Generation

David prayed, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” (Psalm 119:18) Psalm 119 provides insight in several ways to pray before reading the Bible. Sometimes I have paused to repeat the Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on my soul.” These words settle the competing voices in my heart.

Are we reading the Bible just to say we’ve read it, or do we want God to read us as we read Scripture? Invite the same Holy Spirit who inspired the original writers to breathe his Word into your heart as you read. 

May the Spirit of the Living God fill the sails of your soul with inspiration from his heart.