[Paul Vusik]

I recently had a discussion with someone about this concept practiced by TLR of “pray-reading”. I find it amusing and funny that they can never point out where can it be found as a practice in “the New Testament church” as they claim to be. You always led astray to some kind of obnoxious theory of why it is so.

I kind of equate this baseless and unbiblical practice to going out to the store, and buying a bicycle that needs to be put together. Ones you bring it home, you open up a box and take out the instructions on how to assemble it. You sit down on the couch and just start to chant them out loud, without ever picking up the tools and parts, and just hoping that the bike will put itself together, by a miracle!

When it doesn’t go your way, and bike is still in the box and the parts are everywhere, because you refused to follow the “instructions”, you get on the phone and call a manufacturer and file a complaint that you not only read the instructions, but you even repeatedly chanted them back and forth out loud, and nothing happened, but you failed to mention that you never got off that couch, picked up the tools that required in the instructions, and even for a mere moment tried to follow them.

This person said they have prayed for 10 years, and not an answer. I hate to say it this way, but this nonsensical approach to the Word of God, will never produce any results or any answers! It might give you some emotional euphoria for a min, with your ability to read and chant, but besides that it will only lead to frustration.
I remember reading the Bible one time with them, it was James 1, and in the verse 5 it says “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” I prayed and said “Lord give me wisdom”, but they just sat there and kept say over and over “O lord, you be my wisdom”. I asked them and said, “that’s not what it says here to do at all, does it?” But I was told that “you are way to proud to think God will give you wisdom”. Well, no wonder that 10 years goes by, and not an answer. That bike is still in the box, and after hours of frustration it was tossed to the garage, since the instructions were “faulty”. And after sitting there collecting dust for 10 years and spending hundreds of dollars on the purchase was accidentally found, and sold on the neighborhood garage sale for mere $5, with a big fat label on the box “Buyer Beware, WRONG instructions”!

God doesn’t need you to sit there and chant the Bible back to Him, as if He needs a reminder of what He said! He doesn’t need you to point out to Him that He is wisdom! He doesn’t need you to blame Him for your failure to follow them! What He want you to do, is to stop chanting, get off the couch, place the tools and parts as described in the directions, and then step by step put that bike together. And maybe, just maybe, when you get to the last page, you will actually be able to get on it, and take it out to some nice off-road trail, and enjoy some great “answers”, for following the instructions, as it is written!