Begging God to Pay Attention

I love when God speaks to me in new ways. Have you ever been reading a passage of Scripture that you’ve read a number of times before, but something new stands out to you, and you feel like you’re reading it for the first time? That happened to me today.

Sometimes I start to skim through passages when I think I already know what they offer. “Yes, yes,†I say. “I know what’s about to happen, and I know what the whole point of this is going to be.†I feel like I’m saving time by just hurrying through these sections.

When I slow down, though, and I’m willing to listen to what God is speaking, He often reveals messages in a fresh way, even if the passage is one I’ve heard countless times. Sometimes He helps me see a verse that I’ve never noticed before. Or He helps me understand things in a way that I didn’t previously. A message in the passage I’m reading can be applicable to a specific situation that I’m in, and I can grasp its meaning more deeply. Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is alive and active.†The Bible is breathed out by God, and He has many, many messages to share with us.

When Christians read the Bible, we have a special connection to what we read because the Bible is about Jesus—and we know Him! The central message of the Bible is the gospel: the good news that God saves us through Jesus’s death and resurrection. Once we put our trust in Jesus, He sends the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth (John 16:12-15). Throughout our lives, He continues to unfold His wonderful mysteries to us as we seek Him. • Emily Acker

• Have you ever read something familiar in the Bible and been tempted to skip over it? Why might it be important to revisit familiar passages?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Ps.74.10-Ps.74.23|1Tim.2.1-1Tim.2.6|Ps.54.2