By Benescke Janse van Rensburg

A reader wrote the following to me duringlast week: "Benescke, I pray, but I do not get answers. It feels as if God does not hear me. I desire to live closer to Him, but sometimes it feels as if something blocks me. I read the Bible and pray, but my mind wanders and I struggle to understand the Bible. Can you please help me? "

The real question should be: Why do we read the Bible? To ease a feeling of guilt? Because we believe it is the “right thing” to do? Because we need wisdom or direction? Or can we honestly say that we read the Bible with the sole purpose of getting to know God better?

In John 1: 1 we read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And in 2 Timothy 3: 16-17, we read: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

The Bible is God’s gift to us all. It is the vehicle in which we discover His unchanging character thatmakes us feel safe. We discover His power thatstirs our faith; His faithfulness that fills us with hope; His unconditional love and grace, but also His righteous judgment. In the presence of His Holy Spirit, the Bible is transformed from a normal book to the living, powerful Word of God (Heb. 4:12). His promises become our ammunition against the invisible enemy. It is our flashlight when everything around us turns dark. Our compass when we lose our way and our ladder to climb out of the pit of hopelessness that sometimes threatens to overwhelm us.

Does the enemy want us to read and understand the Bible? Of course not. Does he want us to hear God's voice? Even less. It therefore does not surprise me that so many people testify that they are struggling from time to time with wandering thoughts when they pray or read the Bible and that they even fall asleep when they try to pray. Is this perhaps the enemy's strategy to keep us away from God?

Here are three steps you can try when struggling to connect with God. Step one: Get a Bible reading programme. Step two: Ask the Holy Spirit to be your Guide and to protect your mind when spending time with God. Ask Him to break open the Word for you. And step three: Get a notebook. Once you've read a passage from the Bible, ask yourself what it reveals to you about God's character. Write it down. The more you reflect on His character, the more your faith will grow (Romans 10:17).

Remember, God created us to be in a relationship with him. He wants to connect with us even more than our desire to connect with Him. Let’s be open to Him today and listen as He speaks. God bless. 

Father God, thank you for the gift of your Word. Lead me through Your Holy Spirit to understand what I read and to get to know You better. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Assignment for the day: Get a Bible reading program online. Ask the Holy Spirit to act as your guide when you read. Write down the characteristics of God and reflect upon it. Thank Him for who He is to you.

Feedback: For feedback on the series or if you have a testimony to share about something God did in your life, please send me an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. It's always nice to hear from readers. Benescke