Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your Daily Prayer,
Speaker 1: a podcast dedicated to helping you find the words you
Speaker 1: need to connect with your Father in Heaven. No matter
Speaker 1: what is going on in your life today, you can
Speaker 1: trust that God wants to hear from you. Right after
Speaker 1: this short word from our sponsor, you will pray for
Speaker 1: today's prayer to embrace the gift of community Bible study Together.
Speaker 1: A Prayer to Embrace the Gift of community Bible Study
Speaker 1: written by Laura Bailey, read by Carrie. IIK, how can I,
Speaker 1: he said, unless someone explains to me. So he invited
Speaker 1: Philip to come up and sit with him, Acts eight,
Speaker 1: verse thirty one. Have you ever read a passage of
Speaker 1: scripture and felt completely lost? I once read that the
Speaker 1: Bible is written at a level that an elementary age
Speaker 1: child could read and comprehend. If that's the case, then
Speaker 1: perhaps I need to head back to grade school. I
Speaker 1: believe the statement was intended to convey that God's word
Speaker 1: is available and applicable to children and adults alike. The
Speaker 1: message is for everyone at all times. And while there
Speaker 1: are passages of Scripture that are clear, easily digested, and
Speaker 1: share a clear takeaway, but what about the other parts
Speaker 1: books of the Bible, which passages are more difficult to comprehend, interpret,
Speaker 1: and relate to our lives. One of the best resources
Speaker 1: is Other Christians. The story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch,
Speaker 1: though not often cited as a key text on discipleship,
Speaker 1: beautifully illustrates the practice of coming alongside someone to deepen
Speaker 1: their understanding of scripture. Philip, a deacon and evangelist, was
Speaker 1: returning to Jerusalem when an angel redirected him toward Gaza.
Speaker 1: There he met an Ethiopian official returning from worship in Jerusalem.
Speaker 1: Prompted by the spirit, Philip approached him. The Ethiopian was
Speaker 1: reading Isaiah fifty three aloud, a common practice at the time,
Speaker 1: allowing Philip to recognize it and offer to explain it.
Speaker 1: Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch if he understood what he
Speaker 1: was reading. Though it may sound rude to modern ears,
Speaker 1: Philip's question came from genuine concern. The Unich worshiped God
Speaker 1: and New Judaism, but likely lacked a full grasp of
Speaker 1: the Hebrew scriptures, especially Messianic cossages, because he was reading
Speaker 1: a Greek translation and lacked the Jewish cultural background. In
Speaker 1: today's terms, it would be like reading an older Bible translation.
Speaker 1: The text could be understood, but was harder to interpret
Speaker 1: without support. The Eunuch is eager to accept Philip's help
Speaker 1: and says in Acts eight thirty one, how can I,
Speaker 1: he said, unless someone explains to me. So he invited
Speaker 1: Philip to come up and sit with him. We can
Speaker 1: take away a few things from this interaction. First, the
Speaker 1: importance of listening then acting when the Holy Spirit speaks
Speaker 1: to our hearts. Second, spiritual knowledge is transferable. It is
Speaker 1: a privilege to share God's Word with others. Believers with
Speaker 1: the mature faith are commanded to support and teach others
Speaker 1: in the faith. Third, God's Word is meant to be
Speaker 1: studied in community. Part of making disciples is engaging in
Speaker 1: active Bible study together. Only God's word is infallible without error,
Speaker 1: and there is a chance of error in human teaching. Still,
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit has gifted numerous men and women with
Speaker 1: the ability to rightly interpret and unpacked scripture, helping others
Speaker 1: grow in biblical knowledge. If you are new to the faith,
Speaker 1: or if you have a background in Christianity but are
Speaker 1: new to studying the Bible. There's no shame in asking
Speaker 1: for help to understand difficult passages of Scripture. Utilizing tools,
Speaker 1: and supplementing your Bible reading with commentaries, sermons, and conversations
Speaker 1: with other Christians are all part of growing in your
Speaker 1: understanding of God's word, and if you are a more
Speaker 1: seasoned to Christ follower, look for opportunities to share what
Speaker 1: God has taught you, the tools you've used to understand scripture,
Speaker 1: and invest in teaching someone how to study and apply
Speaker 1: God's timeless truths to their lives. As a result of
Speaker 1: Philip taking the time to go through Isaiah fifty three,
Speaker 1: the eunuch accepts Christ and then gets baptized. While Philip
Speaker 1: saw the immediate eternal impact that God's word had on
Speaker 1: this man's life. Not all of your interactions will produce
Speaker 1: instant results. But let us hold to the truth the
Speaker 1: prophet encourages in isaiaht Fifty five to eleven. So is
Speaker 1: my word that goes out from my mouth, It will
Speaker 1: not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I
Speaker 1: desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Speaker 1: Let's pray Heavenly Father, I am so grateful for the
Speaker 1: gift of the body of believers. How wonderful to know
Speaker 1: that I am not only saved for all eternity, but
Speaker 1: was adopted into a family of believers when I accepted Christ.
Speaker 1: Help me embrace the gifts of community Bible study, corporate worship,
Speaker 1: and personal Bible study. Lord, When I have questions where
Speaker 1: I'm wrestling with the text, I ask that the Holy
Speaker 1: Spirit guide and direct me to proper understanding and application.
Speaker 1: When I see others who need support, may I come
Speaker 1: alongside them and impart biblical wisdom. Please help us to
Speaker 1: humbly serve others through teaching, discipleship, service, and love. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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