Read & Pray

It kinda dawned upon me this morning how equally important both the act of praying and reading God’s Word are in keeping our spiritual body in shape. We can’t just give our full attention to one and neglect the other; we need a balance between the both.

If we merely spend time reading the Bible daily but don’t spend time in prayer, what good is it? The mind can be developed with the knowledge of God, but without prayer, the heart will still stay cold and hard. On the other hand, what good is it if we only spend time in prayer but don’t spend time reading the Bible? Without reading the Bible, we have no knowledge of God and hence, no understanding of His will in our lives. Thus, praying without knowing the Bible will only lead us to pray inconsistently to His will.

A marathon runner needs both regular training and a nutritious diet to keep up with his physical fitness. Likewise, we need to pray regularly and feed on God’s Word to keep our spiritual body in shape. Prayer is our form of exercise for the strengthening of our soul, while the Word of God is what gives us the essential nutrients for our spiritual growth. Both are necessary to help us stand strong and courageous in our spiritual battles against the evil one.

As Christians, the marathon we’re in is a pretty challenging one for there are many hurdles which we will have to cross along the way. For some of us, the marathon could perhaps be a little longer than others’. But no matter how tough or how long it’s going to be, let’s not give up along the way. Christ has already won the victory for us. It is just a matter of time before we truly get to taste that victorious win one day.