The Key To Desire God’s Word And Prayer

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:1–2 ESV

Have you ever spent seasons where getting into the Bible felt more like drudgery than delight?

Where you felt guilty, because you knew you should be studying God’s word every day, but you simply never felt like doing it?

If so, you’re not alone. Hundreds of our readers recently participated in a survey for us (thank you!). And about 16 percent said that their biggest struggle in their devotional life was a lack of desire to “read the Bible and pray.”

This certainly isn’t something to feel guilty about. Instead, it’s a reality a lot of us face. But what if it could be different?

Imagine this…

You wake up early in the morning and your primary desire isn’t to go back to sleep… It’s to read, meditate, and devour God’s word. It’s to pray to him and seek him.

That’s the picture the psalmist paints in today’s verse.

Though there are more, I will share one key I’ve found in unlocking this desire for myself.

It is simply having a plan for prayer and Bible reading. I know beforehand what I’m going to read, and what I’m going to pray about.

If you’re reading this, you already have a desire to know God through his Word and prayer. So what you need to do isn’t try harder… It’s simply to help that desire blossom and grow. It’s to get the roadblocks out of the way.

Bible Reading Plan

Here’s a free Bible reading plan to get you started. Knowing exactly what you’re going to do ahead of time helps you remove obstacles and provide space for God’s word.

A Plan For Prayer

Below, you’ll see what one of my actual prayer lists looked like. It’s one of the prayer patterns I often follow. I adapted it from the suggestions in the amazing book, The Battle Plan For Prayer.

My actual prayer list.

Part One:

1. Adoration: praising and adoring God (Psalm 19 is a great place to start).
2. Confession: confessing and repenting of my sins, both known and unknown (Psalm 51 is a great example).
3. Thanksgiving: thanking God for salvation, his presence, and everything he’s given!
4. Supplication: this is where I move onto my prayer list, asking God for specific things.

Part Two:

1. I pray for my family’s top three needs.
2. I give my anxiety to Jesus for the top three things I’m stressed about—asking to trust him.
3. I pray for specific miracles for big challenges.
4. I pray for God’s provision.
5. I pray for wisdom in something I believe God’s calling us to pursue.
6. I pray for other people’s needs.
7. I pray for salvation for people I know, and that God would use me to lead them to him. (This will absolutely happen if you pray for it!)
8. Finally, I intercede for our persecuted brothers and sisters according to this prayer calendar.

I hope this is helpful and encouraging to you to “delight in the law of the LORD” and “meditate” on his word day and night.