Pray-Reading is Scriptural

[Sons to Glory!]

FYI - Just read a passage in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book, "Life Together" (circa 1930s), which went over meditation in the word. It really sounded like pray-reading, even though he didn't call it that. He wrote, "The consideration of Scripture leads into prayer. We have already said that the most promising way to pray is to allow oneself to be guided by the words of the Bible, to pray on the basis of the words of Scripture. In this way we will not fall prey to our own emptiness. Prayer means nothing more than to appropriate the Word, to let it speak to me in my personal situation, in my particular tasks, decisions, sins, and temptations." (pages 62-63 of my particular edition, the chapter titled "The Day Alone")

[Raptor]

I have been to gazillion different meetings while in the LC with all kinds of pray-reading, done in different ways, to different degrees, different expressions; much, little, loud, soft, repetitive, quick, spontaneous, planned, living, not so living, etc. etc. etc.

As a conclusion, in my experience, it has been overall pretty good, some experiences have been outstanding. The main negative thing that I have observed is when we fell into a routine and not turn the heart to the Lord, not address Him, not come to Him, not open to Him. This is a common mistake that can happen anywhere. The Lord taught against this numerous times, saying things like, your lips honor Me but your hearts are far away from Me, you search the scriptures....but you do not come to Me.

Whether personal or corporate pray-reading, it is a good, I would say even crucial aspect of the christian life and the practice of the church.