3 Day Bible Reading Plan - “The Ears and Heart of Prayer”
Prayer isn’t about getting God to bend to our will, but about aligning our hearts with His. It’s about praying not at God, but with Him. Prayer is like riding the wave of God’s will, not asking the ocean to change directions. It’s like dancing with God, not trying to change the music He is dancing to. He wants you to experience the exhilaration of riding the wave of His glorious plan and the intimacy of dancing with Him hand in hand. The wave sets the direction for the surfer, and the lead guides the steps of the dance. We must hear the tenderness of His invitation to join Him and follow where He leads. - Pastor Paul Crandell, 3/30/25
Day 1
Featured Verse: Matthew 6:7-10 - “When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases.”
The Lord’s Prayer begins in Matthew 6:9 with "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." What does addressing God as "Father" reveal about the relationship between humanity and the divine, and why might Jesus emphasize God’s holiness first?
In Matthew 6:7, Jesus warns against "heaping up empty phrases" in prayer as the Gentiles do. What might this suggest about the nature of authentic communication with God, and how should it shape our approach to prayer today?
How does the structure of the Lord’s Prayer, starting with God’s name and will (verses 9-10) before human needs, reflect theological priorities, and what might this teach us about balancing personal desires with submission to God?
“‘Our Father which art in heaven,’ O sweet expression! It teaches us that God is not a tyrant, but a tender Father, who bids us come boldly to His throne of grace, not with many words, but with a childlike faith.” - George Whitefield
“‘And when ye pray, use not vain repetitions.’ Christ condemns not repetition itself, but the vanity of it—words spoken without heart, as if God were moved by the multitude of syllables rather than the sincerity of the soul.” - Albert Barnes
Day 2
Featured Verse: Galatians 4:6 - “Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
The Spirit cries out "Abba, Father." How might the use of "Abba," an Aramaic term of endearment, reflect the nature of our adoption as God’s children, and what implications does this have for understanding divine familial love?
Why might Paul emphasize that the Spirit "calls out" or "cries" (Greek: krazo), and how could this vivid language shape our understanding of prayer, dependence, or emotional connection to God?
Given that Galatians 4:6 follows a discussion of Gentile inclusion, how might this verse challenge or expand traditional Jewish concepts of sonship, and what does it suggest about the universal scope of God’s family?
“The Spirit of adoption, as St. Paul says, is sent into our hearts, ‘crying, Abba, Father.’ This is what makes prayer a delight, not a duty; the Spirit gives us boldness to come to God as sons, not as slaves trembling before a master.” - J.C. Ryle
“When Paul writes, ‘the Spirit of his Son crying, Abba, Father,’ he unveils the mystery of our union with Christ; it is the Spirit who utters in us what Christ uttered on earth—a cry of trust and love to the Father, making us sharers in His sonship.” - Alexander Maclaren
Day 3
Featured Verse: James 4:2 - “You do not have, because you do not ask.”
The phrase "you do not have because you do not ask God" implies a failure to seek God’s provision. What does this reveal about the relationship between prayer, dependence on God, and the fulfillment of human needs or wants?
James seems to link material or relational lack directly to a lack of prayer. How could this perspective shape our theology of God’s provision, and what limitations or nuances might need to be considered in interpreting this connection?
The verse juxtaposes destructive human efforts (killing, fighting) with the simplicity of asking God. What does this contrast teach us about the nature of faith, and how might it reflect James’ broader emphasis on practical, lived-out righteousness?
“Oh, how many souls perish because they will not come to God! They lust, they fight, they war, but they will not bend the knee and cry to Him who alone can give peace and plenty.” - Robert Murray McCheyne
“Here is the secret of empty hands and restless hearts—men seek their all in the creature, and not in the Creator; they ask not of God…How many of our miseries come from this! We wrestle with men, we strive with the world, but we will not wrestle with God in prayer, and so we abide in want.” - Charles Spurgeon
“The tragedy is not in the wanting, but in the way of seeking; prayerless hearts turn to strife, while God waits to be gracious.” - Alexander Maclaren