How shall we read the Bible, the Water of Life ?

Why should we read the Bible ?
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A few things the Bible says about itself:

The Water of the Word is Wonderful—
“Therefore with joy you shall draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

Only the Word from Jesus satisfies—
“Jesus stood and cried, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and drink.’ “

From the very last chapter of the Bible, the vision of heaven—
“Come! Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.”

Must have the Word to have faith—
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”

The Bible is loaded with everything we need—
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped unto all good works.”

Read the Bible to see where you’re going and where you should go—
“Your Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light for my path.”

The Word of God is THE ONE THING—
“Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His Word.
And Jesus said to her sister, ‘Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’ “

God’s Word empowers with discernment—
“The Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, dividing the soul and spirit, the joints and marrow. It is a judge of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The Bible applies when it’s convenient and when it’s not—
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, encourage, with great patience and careful instruction.”

Preach the Word—people hear, people believe, people pray—
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

After you hear, then—
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”

Always verify that what you heard preached is Biblical—
“They received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”

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And now, about the title—
SOAKER
Sometimes we need to read the Bible very slowly, one verse at a time, or one word at a time, and let it soak in, to affect our mind, our memory, and our life.

SPRINKLER
Like fresh rain showers from heaven, from any source, we get a Word from the Word that’s just what we need at just the right time ! ! !

FLOODED
We get deep in the Word, and we are inundated with the Glory of God and the power and the understanding that lifts us close to Jesus.

The people of Israel, the Children of Israel, have endured 400 unexplainable years twice in Biblical history.

First, 400 years of slavery in Egypt, and the only explanation given is that another Pharoah came to power that did not know Joseph—Joseph, who was responsible for saving his family of 70 Hebrews from famine and bringing them to Egypt.
Don’t know why He waited, but God acted supernaturally after all those years to rescue and deliver His People, and He gave them a rallying cry to remember forever—The Passover.

Again, after the last prophet, Malachi, the Children of Israel did not hear a word from God through another prophet for 400 years.
Don’t know why He waited, but God acted supernaturally after all those years to rescue and deliver His People, and all people, and sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from our greatest bondage, sin.

We can’t explain God, because He is God—His ways and His thoughts are higher than ours.
But we can take Him at His Word, and take what Jesus did for us, and have our biggest problem taken care of, and have a reunited relationship with Him forever.

Prayer requests—who are they for ?

Prayer requests—how do you do that ?

Prayer requests—do they work ?

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You may have heard something on radio or tv or from a church, inviting anyone to send in prayer requests–and they promise their prayer team will pray over your requests.
You may take that seriously, maybe not.
You may never have sent in your own prayer requests.

Asking someone you don’t know to pray for you is great, if their ministry is Biblical, and if the offer to pray for you is never associated with giving money.

Bring your prayer requests—your honest needs—down to a personal level, and people you have a personal relationship with.
Broadcasting your prayer requests on social media is definitely not where it’s at spiritually (danger of “casting your pearls before swine”).
Meaningful personal relationships with individuals you trust, are not built on line.

A good foundation for building a prayer partner connection, a prayer warrior, is praying together, in person.
That is the spiritual version of building any personal relationship connection—time together, in person.
THEN, sharing everyday stuff, highs and lows, and prayer requests right away when you need help—then you can use the phone to talk or text these personal items with that special friend.
I caution against sending group text prayer requests, except in emergency.

By the way, “Prayer requests—do they work ?”
YES ! YES ! YES !

Don’t miss out on the blessings of having a trusted person who prays for you, for anything, any time.
Can we admit our deepest needs, even our weaknesses, to another believer ? Yes, indeed !
Reluctance to ask someone for specific prayer for specific needs, thinking I should handle this myself, likely also means a reluctance to ask God .

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”