Steven Clemenson Supporter

I always pray first, “Lord, give the wisdom and discernment to read and understand your words, your will and your heart. Open my heart and mind to your truth. In Jesus’ Most Holy and Precious name I pray. Amen”.

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Daniel Veler Supporter

Your question: How should I pray in asking Jesus to open my heart and mind to understand the Bible?

Praying and asking are essentially the same thing. The word of God serves as a means of seeking answers to questions. First, you must have a genuine desire to know the truth. Once you have a specific question that you seek an answer to, you turn to the Lord for guidance and insight. 

The apostle wrote the following:

2 John 2:27: “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”

Let me give you an example. In John 3:16 it reads, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Say you read this verse and believe you truly comprehend its meaning just by reading it. Now, read it again and ask yourself this question: Have I truly grasped the entirety of this scripture? Seek the Lord’s guidance and ask, “What does it mean to have everlasting life?” Until you realize that your understanding of John 3:16 is only a partial understanding of its true significance.

You see, everlasting life is defined by the Lord. It is in John 17, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Having this information, if you go back to John 3:16 and put the definition that Christ gives us you and insert the definition of everlasting life into it, it would read like this with the definition of everlasting life. 

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." ("And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”)

Now, knowing this, you come to the true meaning of John 3:16 and what it means to have everlasting life. 

1 John 2:24 says the following:
“Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life."

Knowing what eternal life entails now, you can comprehend John’s message.

To understand the Bible, you must allow the Lord to grant you understanding. It all begins with a question you yearn to know about the truth. Then, with your desires, you ask the Lord to provide you with understanding.

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Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College & Dallas Seminary graduate, Pentair

Larry, good question. I start each morning before I study the Bible with "Open my eyes to see wonderful things out of Your law" (Psalm 119:18). And as Paul Baloche sang, "Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord."

Core Lyrics

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

I also pray this. You can too! You can pray using Psalm 119:133 ("Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me") to ask God for a clear mind and a humble heart to understand the Bible. So then you are asking for guidance: "Direct my steps by your commands so I do not get lost."

And remember, Larry, how Jesus opened the minds of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus?

See Luke 24 for this: When they reached Emmaus, they urged the stranger to stay with them as evening fell.

The revealing act: While sitting at the table, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them.
Opening their eyes: At that exact moment, their spiritual vision was unsealed, they recognized the risen Jesus, and He vanished from their sight. 

Then, there was a two-step process of opening:

The Emmaus Road (Luke 24:31): First, He opened their eyes so they could recognize His physical presence in the breaking of the bread.

The Upper Room (Luke 24:45): Next, He opened their minds so everyone could fully grasp the theological meaning of His death and resurrection.

I believe this works for the whole Bible. Ask God to keep you from lies and misunderstanding that the devil may have perpetrated. Ask for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Have Him search your heart and know your thoughts (Ps 139:23-24) to see if there is any wicked way in you, and then ask Him to lead you in the way everlasting. He will. He always keeps His promises! (Some scholars and teachers estimate the total is anywhere from 3,000 to over 7,000 based on different reading styles and criteria.)--7,487 specific promises made by God to humanity. But to be conservative, say 3,000. That's still a lot!

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