God?

Reading the Bible

Reading the Bible and praying is extremely inportant in order to have a relationship with God.
Reading the Bible has helped me understand who God really is and what he is like.

He isn't just some heartless cold being in the sky, he's a creator who wants to love and be loved. He's a father figure who wants to have a relationship with you.
He's the father of all creation who cries, feels joy, has anger and wrath. And he longs to get to know his children and to love them and bless them.
"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." -Zephaniah 3:17
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"Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry." -Jeremiah 4:19
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"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." -Revelation 21:3-4

Reading the Bible is a great way to battle sin and temptation.
If your focusing on God and spending time with him in his word there is less time for you to get caught up in sin.

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." -James 4:7

Francis Chan, (for those of you who dont know he is a great christian Pastor) explained it like this:

A man's wife has a really big sweet tooth. And she has a bunch of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups laying arround all the time to snack on. And it's tempting because who the heck doesnt love Chocolate and Peanut Butter?
So instead of sitting arround all day thinking about the Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, the man eats a bit of fruit.
And at first not much happens. Hes still looking over and craving Peanut Butter Cups. But the more and more he eats thre fruit the more full he gets and the less he wants the candy.
In this example the peanut butter cups are sin.

The more time you spend enveloping yourself in God, the less time you have to dwell on sin in your life.

Another reason is the more scripture you know, the less the devil can try to tempt you.

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." -Psalm 119:11

Having more verses memorized can help you in sharing your faith with unbelievers better.
If you know where to go to answer a question or to pull up as some sort of reference, your going to end up helping that person more than you could on your own because its the word of the living God.

The more time you spend in the Bible the more you'll understand the world arround you.
In the Bible God explains how he made everything and even what things are going to look like at the end of time.
It helps us get a picture of what he is really like, and the way he views things.

Often times when im upset I turn to the Bible and find comfort and healing in his words.
God said every word in the Bible God breathed and it is actually a living thing.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" -2 Timothy 3:6
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"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." -Hebrews 4:12

And what could be better comfort in times of need and of trouble than to go directly to God himself (through the Bible) and hear from him through his word.
He is here for us, he loves us. He is our father! And he is always there comforting us.

With all that being said I encourage everyone to get alone with God and read the Bible.
Even just 10 minutes every day can be life changing.

"But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." -Matthew 4:4
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"Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts." -Jeremiah 15:16.