We just wrapped up our In the Beginning series.

But instead, I paused.

Because there was something I couldn’t move past; something that felt too important to skip over.

Prayer.

It sounds simple. Almost obvious. Of course we pray.

But if I’m honest, prayer was the one thing that changed everything about my time in Scripture.

For a while, my “alone time” wasn’t going well. I was confused. Frustrated. Trying to will myself into consistency. Trying to manufacture desire. Trying to figure it out.

And the harder I tried, the more it felt like work.

I was approaching Bible study like something I could conquer with enough discipline.

It wasn’t working.

There was a moment (and I remember it clearly) when I finally stopped trying to hold it together and simply said:

“I don’t know what to do. I need help.

I’m completely lost and the desire just isn’t there.”

It wasn’t polished.
It wasn’t spiritual sounding.
It was honest.

And looking back now, after spending more time in Scripture, I recognize something.

I was calling out to God.

Not in a dramatic way. Just raw and  honestly.

And that pattern is everywhere in the Bible.

Over and over we see:

• • • Abraham

    • Jacob

    • David

People who called out to God, and were met there. Not because they had it all figured out.

But because He is the One they were meant to know.

That realization shifted my entire approach.

Bible study stopped being about mastering information.
It became about meeting with God.

Prayer stopped being the warm-up.
It became the foundation.

So if you’re struggling right now;  if your study feels dry, mechanical, confusing, or distant — pause before you try harder.

Call out to Him.

He is not asking you to power through.
He is inviting you to come to Him.

Before We Read, We Pray

So, before we move forward, I want us to pause and pray — not long, polished prayers, but steady ones.

The kind that shape how we read.

I shared the PART prayer pattern in the community this week. Not because I created it. Not because it’s new. But because it’s simple and grounded, and it mirrors the way Jesus taught us to pray.

The PART Pattern

PART simply stands for:

P — Praise

Start with who God is.

Before asking for anything, name His character.

A — Ask

Bring your needs honestly.

Clarity. Understanding. Desire.

R — Repent

Confess quickly and clearly.

Not dramatically — just truthfully.

T — Thank

End by remembering what He has already done.

If that sounds familiar, it should.

You can see the same pattern echoed in the Lord’s Prayer — starting with God’s name and kingdom before moving to daily needs.

Prayer isn’t separate from Bible study.

It steadies it.

 

So this week let’s call out to God during our Bible study.  Remember we’re not opening the Bible to master it. We’re opening it to know God.

And that changes everything.