Q: Does prayer, meditation, or fasting have anything to do with Bible reading?
A: Prayer, meditation, and fasting (along reading the Bible) are spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines draw us closer to God, deepen our understanding of who he is, and help make us into the men and women he desires us to become.
Praying for guidance before reading the Bible is a wise practice. Also, you may be prompted to pray while reading or studying a passage. Saying a prayer after reading the Bible is also a God-honoring practice.
As you read the Bible, you may want to spend time contemplating on what you just read for any possible applications to your life. This is meditation; it’s often combined with prayer.
The act of fasting (be it going without food or withholding some other enjoyment or practice) is used to heighten spiritual awareness. This includes insights gleaned from Bible reading as well as prayers and meditation.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
