Our first aim will be to show how inseparably connected are these two. We dare not exalt one above the other both are vital. Moreover, we must not separate the one from the other or we do despite to both. There are three considerations which establish this point. These will be illustrated mainly from Psalm 119:33-40.

1. The Reading of the Bible Needs Prayer⤒🔗

It is well-known that the uniqueness of the 119^th Psalm lies in its total pre-occupation with the Word of God to such an extent that every verse makes some reference to it. In addition to this a large number of these verses are addressed to God Himself and thus constitute prayers. A study of these verses will thus show us how intertwined are the reading of the Bible and prayer. The section from verses 33 to 40 is made up entirely of petitions to God. These bring home forcibly to us the ways in which the reading of God's Word needs to be combined with prayer.

Prayer is needed beforehand in order to prepare the mind to understand and the heart to receive it. In v. 33 he prays, "Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statues". He comes to the word as a pupil to be enlightened, not to look for confirmation of his own preconceived notions. In v. 34 he prays, "Give me understanding". It is possible to learn without understanding, parrot fashion, but this is of no use at all. We need to receive the import, the spirituality of the Word. Prayer is necessary for this. Further in v. 36 he prays, "Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies". It is necessary not only for the mind to understand what God says, but for the heart to receive it delightfully. Our hearts by nature are inclined, as the psalmist admits, "to covetousness". Earnest prayer is needed that the Spirit of God should prepare them to welcome His teachings. Such prayers as these need to precede the reading of the Word lest this exercise should prove vain.

Prayer is needed during the reading of the Word to aid meditation. One of the most important uses we are to make of the Bible (although a sadly neglected one) is meditation, v. 148. It is not enough to read it through like a newspaper. Beneath the print we must find the living word, we must gain insight into the mind of the Spirit. This demands a pondering upon the passage we are reading. This pondering is meditation. But it is a spiritual as well as mental activity. We are seeking to communicate with the mind of God. Thus prayer is essential here. We must lift heart and soul to God that He might bring home to us what He would have us know. The Psalmist is meditating prayerfully (or praying meditatively) over the Word in vv. 36 and 38 when he says, "Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies" and "Stablish Thy word unto Thy servant". He desires it to be imprinted upon him that he may be rooted and grounded in God. Many of us find meditation on the Word of God hard, even impossible. This is because we try to do it with our natural faculties and forget to call on God. We shut our mouths from prayer when we open our Bible. Both need to be open if we are to meditate profitably upon what we read.

Prayer is needed afterwards to seek the fulfilment of the promises and to enable obedience to the precepts. Just as we have not done with prayer when we open the Scriptures, so we have not done with either when we have closed the Scriptures. Out of them God has brought to our notice promises made to His children. We must lay claim to these by faith – and this we do by addressing God Himself. If we receive a promissory note we go to the signatory of it and ask for the cash. If we receive a promise from God therefore we go to Him and ask Him to do it for us. "Stablish Thy word unto Thy servant" – prove the truth of it by bringing it to pass! Also, God speaks to us of His commands and our duties. These being spiritual we lack the ability to fulfill them. Like the psalmist therefore we cry to God to enable us to do so: "Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments" (v. 35), "quicken Thou me in Thy way" (V. 37), "quicken me in Thy righteousness" (v. 38).

Let us then beware of the danger of divorcing prayer from the reading of the Word. A constant unceasing attitude of prayer during the whole exercise is the only way profitably to read the Scriptures.

2. Prayer Needs the Reading of the Bible←⤒🔗

Just as we must not attempt the reading of the Scriptures without constant recourse to prayer, so too we cannot truly pray without continual reference to the Bible. Much of our praying is impoverished because we do it in isolation from God's Word.

The Word will enlighten us concerning what and how to pray. Like some sermons, many prayers are devoid of content – they never ask anything. The things they do ask are often very mundane and repetitive. While we should never neglect to ask for all that is included in the petition "Give us this day our daily bread", we should never stop there. We are also told to pray concerning the hallowing of God's name, the doing of His will and the coming of His kingdom. What exactly this involves is shown to us in the Scriptures. Thus every passage we read should suggest to us our "topics" for prayer. If we allow this to happen our prayers will be fresh and full.

The Word will give us grounds for believing in the effectiveness of prayer. Much prayer is wasted because we do not really believe we shall receive the things for which we ask. We doubt and waver and so do not obtain (James 1:6). This is because we have no rocks to hold on to. The doctrines and promises of God's Word will supply us with these. If we take them into our prayers we shall pray with faith. "I hoped in Thy word" (v. 147).

The Word will move our hearts and thus stir up the emotions. Coldness and formality are often the marks of our praying. Like cold food they give off no savour to delight the nostrils of our God. Our prayers need warmth, and this the meditative reading of the Word will supply. "Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments, for therein do I delight" (v. 35). We shall see the gloriousness of God's being, the grace of His dealings, the power of His judgments, the richness of His goodness to His elect, the depth of His love in His Son. These things will delight the heart of the true believer and this delight will set light to his prayers.

3. Prayer and Bible Reading Together are Necessary to Godly Living←⤒🔗

We must not become mystics who live only for private devotions. We are called to live a life of practical godliness before the Church and the world. We shall never do so with­out a right combination of prayer and the Word. Our devotional life must be as closely intertwined with our practical godliness as our prayer is with our Bible reading. The psalmist shows how concerned he is that his devotions should find practical outworking. "Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes and I shall keep them unto the end" (v. 33). The other verses have the same theme in them. Notice how his godliness is helped by the resolution of will which his devotions impart. One of the chief causes of sin or failure in the Christian is weakness_. of will. A true combination of the two parts of the devotional life greatly strengthen the will in the ways of the Lord.

One of the most vital things for our Christian life therefore is to grasp this interdependence of Bible reading and prayer. Likewise, one of the worst is to divorce them. "Therefore it is come to pass that as he cried and they would not hear, so they cried and I would not hear, saith the Lord of Hosts" (Zech. 7:13). They prayed but did not listen to His Word through His prophets – so God would not listen to their words in their prayers. Our devotional lives – in fact our whole lives – will suffer unless we keep the relationship between prayer and the Word.