I took two years of Spanish in high school, so when I went to college they put me in an advanced Spanish course. I was overwhelmed because they spoke nothing but Spanish in class, and I quickly realized that I needed to buy an English to Spanish translation book so I could understand what they were saying … AND so I would know how to say something that made sense to them!

God’s Word is like that translation book. It is the primary means we have for learning God’s ‘language.’ When we aren’t familiar with His Word, a lot of what we speak to Him in prayer isn’t much more than childlike gibberish, and it has the potential to be contrary to His Word, making it a totally ineffective prayer. If we don’t know Him well enough to speak His language, why should we be surprised when we don’t feel like He is hearing our prayers?

What do I mean by speaking God’s language? I’m talking about knowing God well enough to know what kind of prayers He will answer … AND what kind He won’t! Sometimes when I’m talking with a friend, they struggle to explain something they’ve said because it came out all wrong. I quickly say to them, “It’s ok, I speak fluent [insert name here]!” In other words, I’m telling them that I didn’t take it wrong because I KNOW them, and I know their heart toward me. When you know someone well, you don’t misunderstand them as often.

The following parable of Jesus shows how scary it can be when you don’t know God well, and you pray without speaking His language:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV)

Isn’t this a scary thought? They were praying to the Lord, and they saw positive results after those prayers, so they assumed that they had a right relationship with the Lord, and that they were praying according to God’s will … but look what happened! At the judgment, they were told that their prayers had never been heard, AND they were cast out of the Kingdom of Heaven. What a HORRIBLE thing!

What Went Wrong?

It wasn’t that God wasn’t able to ‘hear’ them, but that He refused ‘listen’ to them … because they did not obey His Word. They lost their opportunity to spend eternity in Heaven, because without knowing God’s Word, their lives were amiss, and they assumed they were right with God … but they weren’t.

Thankfully, Jesus immediately comforted His concerned listeners by telling them how to prevent this from happening in their own lives, and this is exactly how we can prevent it from happening in our lives, as well.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. (Matthew 7:24-25 NIV)

God’s Word is that rock! It is so very important that we read God’s Word and become familiar with it, so that we can view life through the lens of truth.

Scripture records 131 commands of Jesus, and perhaps the most important one was this … “IF you love me, you will keep my word.” Why would that command be so important? Because God’s Word gives us the power to KNOW God, to recognize His voice, and pray powerfully effective prayers.

How to Read the Bible and Understand it Better

I wrote a post last year titled How to Read the Bible and Understand it Better. In that post, I tell about the best tool I’ve come across for helping me read and understand God’s Word. I invite you to jump over and read it if you are looking for a way to get more out of your Bible study time.

Keeping it real,