In regular conversation with others, we respond with amazement, interest, thanksgiving, celebration, rejoicing, and so on. The same is true in our Bible reading. Prayer is a response to God’s mighty deeds, marvelous grace, bountiful heart, and awesome attributes found in Scripture that connects with our lives.

If you are gearing up to read through the Bible in 2025, or you are deciding how you will read the Bible and structure a devotional time, allow me to offer a quick encouragement:

Add prayer to your reading.

Whatever you read—whole Bible, Psalms, single book, Paul’s letters—add prayer.

Responding in prayer is essential for communing with God. Here’s a few reasons why.

Since the Bible is God’s word—his communication to us, through the centuries in histories, prophesies, and letters in the Bible—we should respond to his speaking to us.

Prayer is continuing the conversation with God. God spoke first (Bible), we speak second (prayer). He reveals. We respond.

To not respond to God’s words in prayer is to not fully communion with him.

Since prayer is continuing the conversation with God, if we don’t connect prayer to our Bible reading, we are abruptly and rudely ending the conversation.

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