ASCC Blog

How to Pray Before Reading the Bible

Since the Bible is God’s word, there’s a joyful reverence that ought to accompany us as we open his book. We are here suggesting one way to begin your time looking at God’s word. This can be done in solitude when reading by yourself, or with groups that you’re reading with.

What the Bible says about the Bible

Psalm 119 is the longest song in the whole book of Psalms and the longest chapter in all the Bible. Almost all 176 verses have an explicit reference to God’s written word, meaning that this thing is unequivocally talking about God’s written revelation. 

It’s an acrostic Psalm, meaning that each line within the stanzas begins with the same letter of the alphabet. In this case, it is the Hebrew alphabet, not the English alphabet, which is why it doesn’t appear to follow alphabetically in your Bible. The little words in your Bible, such as Aleph, Beth, Gimel, etc. are the consecutive transliterations of the Hebrew alphabet.

What we are suggesting is to take a small chunk of this Psalm and to pray it as your own before reading your daily Scripture reading route or plan.

01.  Save It 

Below you will find a photo of a daily selection of the Psalm. Here’s what you can do. 

1. Press and hold the image to save it to your phone.
2. Once the image is saved to your photos, mark it as one of your ‘favorites’ so that you can easily access it.
3. When it comes time to read, scroll to this photo, and then read & pray the content of the psalm. Each day of the month has a short selection already marked out. 

02.  Print it

Or, if you’d like to have a physical copy, you can print it.

1. Print it
2. Stick it inside the front cover of your Bible
3. Take it out before you get to reading, and read & pray through the short section as a way to warm your heart for God’s word.

Resolve

Psalm 119 is full of personal and corporate resolutions to keep and love and obey God’s written word. What resolutions will you make as the psalmist’s words become your own through prayer? Practice this daily as you pick up the Bible to read and meditate on God’s abundant goodness to the children of mankind.

A Letter to a Son of David | Classics Series

[3 minute read]

The following blog is an installment in our Classics Series, where we look back at posts from days gone by. This blog written by Pastor Will Pareja was originally posted in December of 2017. 

Dear Joseph,

Recently, I wrote a letter to your wife, Mary. I hope you’re okay with that since you’re both in Glory now anyway, unmarried like the rest and awaiting that great marriage supper of the Lamb.

I imagine that calling Nazareth of Galilee home must not have helped you in popularity contests. What was it like to be a part of the long and destitute lineage of kings, a great, great, great… grandson of David? Did you know that some people in my era advertise that their “boss is a Jewish carpenter”? Seems cute, I know, but they weren’t talking about you. What was it like to apprentice young Yeshua as a carpenter who is both your Lord and mine?

Our Holy Book speaks of you as a “just man” (Matthew 1:19). Seems to me that was made possible because of your Stepson (we call him Jesus). You must have taken the God of the Covenant seriously and trusted his promises. In so many ways, I want to be a righteous man like you, Joseph, and most like your Lord and mine.

How did you feel when Mary first told you about the pregnancy? Did you run away in anger? Matthew tells us in his Gospel that you decided to annul your engagement “quietly” (Matthew 1:19). You took the noble road when you could have legally shamed her or demanded her stoning. Admirable! Sleep must have been hard not knowing the truth—until, of course, the angel came and cleared it up. What must have it been like to endure the stigma of engagement to a pregnant woman?

How manly did you feel in not finding a respectable place for Mary to birth Jesus? Were you scared knowing the local king was coming to destroy baby Jesus (Matthew 2:13)? How did you provide for mother and child as refugees in Egypt?

I think you and Mary would identify with one of our Christmas movies about a kid getting left at home accidentally. One difference would be, however, is that the child of your story is real and worthy of worship as your Lord and mine. Shalom.

Your brother,
Will Pareja