How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Pray for the Lesson by Josh Hardin

Prayer is the simplest way to ensure that a Bible class goes well and achieves its goal. Many people, however, avoid prayer except in times of distress. Some people forget to pray, some have only certain times of day that they pray, and some think God should not be bothered unless the problem is too big to handle without Him. None of those reflect the Bible’s view on prayer. Prayer is effective in any situation, no matter how great or small, and God tells Christians to use it continuously. It is a first act of preparation, dedication, and guidance, not a last resort when human effort fails. A Christian’s instinctive reaction to a problem of any size should be to stop and pray.

Prayer asks for God’s help and guidance, and puts a Christian in the proper mindset of acceptance of His aide rather than reliance on personal effort. People can fail. God does not. This is true for even the simplest situations and smallest decisions. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3). A negative example of this is found in Joshua chapter 9. Joshua and the Israelites made a treaty with people they met. It seemed like an easy decision, but verse 14 says they “did not inquire of the Lord.” Joshua later found out that the people lied, but he couldn’t go back on the treaty. The Israelites regretted that simple decision for years because they did not think to ask God first. Bible class is a perfect example of that same need to seek God’s guidance first. It is something so simple, something that a person can do without help, but it is imperative that God be a part of it. A Bible teacher should teach God’s Word, not their own. There is no better way to make sure that happens than to ask God. He will help; and the teacher will go into the class understanding that the students benefit from God’s Word, not the teacher’s effort.

Prayer does not have to be complicated. It does not have to generate a feeling of awe, or devotion, or peace. It does not have to be long. It can be and often should be very simple. A prayer for a Bible class can be as easy as “Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to teach these students the right way. Let me teach your Word and not mine, and let them learn what they need to learn. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.” It can be prayed on the way to worship service, before the lesson is studied, or right before a teacher walks through the door to class.

It is not easy to see how God helps through prayer, but the Bible says that He always does help when a Christian asks in the right way. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). That goes for any situation, great or small, including Bible class.