7 Benefits of Reading the Bible and Praying with Friends

Bible reading and prayer can feel quite personal, and many times we prefer to practice these spiritual disciplines on our own. The Lord speaks to us and reveals Himself powerfully to us when we do. At Seek First Resources, we believe that your life will truly change for the better when you devote personal daily time to reading the Bible, praying and journaling. 

There are also extraordinary benefits to reading the Bible and praying with others. In fact, throughout the New Testament, we see a clear picture of communal discipleship amongst friends. 

If you want to read the Bible and pray with others, but don’t know how to start, don’t overthink it! You can join a small group or Bible study at your local church; or you can invite a couple of friends over to your home weekly for dinner, Bible study and prayer. Or you could meet up a couple times a month with a friend at a coffee shop and share what the Lord has been showing you in your own times of Bible reading and end with a short time of praying for each other. Or FaceTime a long-distance friend weekly for a short time of catch up, reading scripture, and prayer. There are so many ways to read the Bible and pray with friends, and the benefits are endless! But here are a few below to motivate you to get started:

 

7 Benefits to Reading the Bible and Praying with Your Friends

1. It invites the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

In Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV), Jesus said: “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

When we study scripture and pray with others, you are inviting the Holy Spirit to move powerfully in your midst. The Lord is pleased when His people come together in His name, and when we seek the Lord together, He meets us. 

2. It strengthens your friendships.

When reading the Bible with your friends, you create space to listen to how the Lord is speaking to one another and how the scriptures are being applied in your lives. There’s an authentic honesty that takes place in these settings, where you and your friends can open up about your hopes and struggles and lean on one another and encourage each other. When you pray with friends, you not only become aware of the needs of one another, you also grow in your understanding and love for each other.

3. It deepens your understanding of scripture and prayer.

When you read the Bible with others and discuss scripture together, you will gain and give new insight. Your friends see different things than you do when you read the Bible, and through their observations, the Holy Spirit will speak and minister to you. Likewise, when you share, you help your friends discover new truths or ways to apply the BIble in their context. When you pray together, you hear how your friends cry out to God and intercede, and their words strengthen your faith, as you do the same for them.

4. It brings greater accountability to your discipleship.

By reading the Bible with others and praying together, you are guaranteeing you are spending time in scripture and prayer that day! Not only that, as you read the Bible and pray with friends, you inevitably get to share how you are becoming a doer of the Word and what is challenging your faith at the moment. You will receive the encouragement you need from your friends to apply God’s Word in practical ways. And you will give that same support to them!

5. It fuels your hunger for God. 

When you explore scripture and pray with others, your passion for God and for His ways grows! You are more motivated to seek Him in your daily life and will fall more in love with His Word, His presence, and His leading.

6. It inspires your trust in God. 

When you hear how your friends are learning from scripture, it strengthens your faith in God. When you pray with others, you get to hear how God is answering prayers and your trust in God’s faithfulness grows stronger and stronger! 

7. It creates opportunities for others to grow in their faith.

We all have questions about God, about life, about faith. We need the space to voice those and to turn to scripture and the Lord for answers. By creating a consistent environment to read the Bible and pray together with friends, you are encouraging a holy curiosity that leads to growth and maturity for everyone over time. 

*We’ve created a journal specifically for your daily reflections from your time reading the Bible! Learn more and order your Seek First Journal here.