Two-Way Communication

Have you ever been stuck in a conversation with someone who talks only about himself? Imagine what it must be like for our heavenly Father to listen to our prayers during our devotional time. We may have read a portion of His Word, but then in prayer we swiftly shift focus exclusively to our needs. We ask for help in solving a problem, providing for a financial need, or healing a physical ailment. But the passage we’ve just read doesn’t even enter into our prayers. What God has just said to us goes largely unacknowledged.

Apparently the writer of Psalm 119 did not have this perspective. Instead, he sought God’s help in understanding the Word: “Open Thou mine eyes,” he said, “that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” (v. 18). And as he prayed he expressed how he treasured God’s Word, calling it his “delight” (v. 24).

Let’s develop a discipline of praying our response to the Word. It just might transform our devotional time. Bible reading and prayer should reflect a two-way communication. Listen to God’s Word, then pray about what you’ve heard.

—Dennis Fisher, Our Daily Bread