Reading the Bible and Praying

Comments

• ItalianCoptic

  August 2015

  
  

  Create an area where you have your Bible and other books. I suppose you could call it an icon corner. It doesn't have to be that fancy, just a quite place where you can relax and read the Bible, pray and read other spiritual books. 
  

  
  

  Get a small notebook where you can write down certain verses. You could follow the weekly Gospel readings let's say, write them down in the book and then write a small paragraph under it that's in your own words; your interpretation of the verse. You could even pick some random verses or verses that pertain to the time of year, or your own personal issues. 

  
  

  Try to pick a certain time of the day when you have 15-30 minutes to sit and do that exercise. After you write them down, meditate on them. Just try to think quietly about what you wrote. You don't even have to say anything and just sit there and think about the verse and it's meaning.

  
  

  When you start small like that you can expand on that exercise. Say you have done that for a week or ten days, you can incorporate the Jesus prayer after you think about the verse. Just a simple, "Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, a sinner."

  
  

  I have found that when you have an organized, simple system of prayer you can gain spiritually with a lot less. Then as you grow even more, you can read one of the hours of the Agpeya to brush up on formal church prayer as well. Prayer is very simple and is not meant to be something that takes hours for a layman. We are not monks, so sometimes we get caught up that we have to be just like them when it is impossible with our daily lives being of the world. Especially in our church which is so detailed in prayer. 

  
  

  I use an audio Bible app to listen to the Bible when I walk my dogs or even if I am doing cardio at the gym. You should see what kind of learner you are, a visual, aesthetic or verbal. I learn well by listening, so I opt for the audio stuff. Use prayer as a simple way to learn more of the scripture, not as a separate aspect of it. I hope this helps!

  
  

  
  

  
  
• dann100

  August 2015

  Dear @ItalianCoptic

  I thank you dearly for your advice. May the Lord bless you
• Studyandlearn

  June 2017

  This advice from ItalianCoptic was really good. Bringing the discussion/thread back for that reason. This advice inspires me, hope it will continue to inspire others also
• Joshuaa

  June 2017

  Thank you ItalianCoptic. Great advice! Thank you Studyandlearn as well for finding the thread. I think you may may be blessed with great research skills.
  
  God's blessings upon you.
• ItalianCoptic

  June 2017 edited June 2017

  Thank you for your kind words. I am no longer a layman, so perhaps this advice has worked. This is actually the topic Abouna chose for me to teach for our Sunday School this week. An interesting coincidence. This may be helpful to my kids in my class, as their attention span is about 10 minutes on a good day!
  
  This seems so long ago. Thanks, Studyandlearn and Joshuaa. Please pray for me.
• Studyandlearn

  June 2017

  Hi Italian Coptic ! Nice to meet you
  Thats so wonderful to hear! That you have become one to teach the kids in the Sunday School, that is so great. This is one of the most important things to do. For sure your advice is good in this situation, i would have been helped by that advice as a kid.
  
  And thank you Joshua! I am so encouraged by that. Thank God for his gifts
• Mark19

  July 2017

  You can find the Bibble in internet if yo want