Prayer Before Reading the Bible: Short Prayers to Begin and End (2026)
A prayer before reading the Bible is a short request to God to help you pay attention, understand, and respond to what you read. It can be one sentence, such as Psalm 119:18 (NHEB): "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of your Law." Then open today's passage and begin.
A short prayer to pray before you read (a written prayer, not Scripture): Lord, as I open your word today, help me pay attention and understand what I read. Show me one thing to carry with me today. Amen.
Adapt any prayer below in your own words. Scripture quotations are from the New Heart English Bible (NHEB) and labeled; the written prayers are not Scripture.
Short Opening Prayers Drawn From Scripture
Each prayer gives a verse, its setting and a written prayer, all from the Psalms (see how to read the Psalms).
Psalm 119:18: Open My Eyes
"Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things out of your Law." (Psalm 119:18, NHEB)
Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, has 176 verses in 22 stanzas of 8, an acrostic on the Hebrew alphabet. In the third stanza (verses 17 to 24), the psalmist, "a stranger on the earth" (Psalm 119:19, NHEB, excerpt), asks God not to hide his commandments (see the Psalm 119 chapter overview).
A prayer to pray: Lord, open my eyes as I read today. Help me notice what is really here.
Psalm 119:105: A Lamp for the Next Step
"Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105, NHEB)
Verse 105 opens the fourteenth stanza (verses 105 to 112), which also speaks of affliction (verse 107) and a snare laid by the wicked (verse 110).
Reflection, not Scripture: a lamp in the psalm's world lit only the ground just ahead, so many readers find it fits one day's reading.
A prayer to pray: God, I don't need to see the whole road today. Give me light for this reading.
Psalm 19:14: The Meditation of My Heart
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Lord, my rock, and my redeemer." (Psalm 19:14, NHEB)
Psalm 19 moves from the heavens declaring God's glory (verses 1 to 6) to the Law of the Lord (verses 7 to 11) to a personal prayer (verses 12 to 14), which verse 14 closes.
Many readers borrow it to open their reading, asking that their thoughts please God.
A prayer to pray: Lord, as I read and think about this passage, let my thoughts and words please you.
Why Many Readers Say a Prayer Before Reading the Bible
Many readers find a short prayer helps them slow down, ask for understanding and read ready to respond. After the risen Jesus explained the Scriptures to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32), Luke says of the disciples in Jerusalem: "Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures." (Luke 24:45, NHEB).
Many Christians take this scene as a reason to ask God for understanding, and traditions describe the Holy Spirit's role in reading differently. A prayer is not a gate: if you forget it, read anyway.
One-Line Prayers for Tired or Distracted Days
Some days, one honest line is enough. These are written prayers, not Scripture.
- A tired morning: Lord, I'm tired. Help me take in one thing today.
- A distracted mind: God, my mind is busy. Quiet it for a few minutes.
- A hard passage (genealogies, laws, laments): Lord, this part is hard. Help me read it patiently.
- Coming back after missed days: God, I'm back. Help me start with the next reading, not the days I missed.
- Late at night or short on time: Lord, I have only a few minutes. Meet me in them.
One more line echoes 1 Samuel 3, set when "The word of the Lord was rare in those days" (1 Samuel 3:1, NHEB, excerpt). The boy Samuel served the Lord under the priest Eli, who told him to answer the voice calling him, "Speak, Lord; for your servant hears." (1 Samuel 3:9, NHEB, excerpt of Eli's words).
Samuel answered, "Speak; for your servant hears." (1 Samuel 3:10, NHEB, excerpt). The Lord calls Samuel by name; this line borrows only his listening posture and promises nothing about how God speaks to readers (see the 1 Samuel book overview).
A prayer to pray: Speak, Lord. I'm listening.
Short Prayers to Close Your Reading
A prayer after reading the Bible follows the same order: verse, setting, written prayer.
James 1:22: Doers of the Word
"But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves." (James 1:22, NHEB)
James 1:19-27 contrasts hearing with doing, comparing a hearer who does not act to a man who forgets his face after seeing it in a mirror (James 1:23-24; see the James 1 chapter overview).
A prayer to pray: Lord, thank you for today's reading. Show me one way to live it today.
Psalm 119:11: Carry One Line With You
"I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11, NHEB)
It sits in the second stanza (verses 9 to 16), which opens: "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word." (Psalm 119:9, NHEB).
To close, carry one phrase from today's passage through the day, or learn it with these tips on how to memorize Bible verses.
A prayer to pray: God, help me keep one line from today's reading with me.
A Simple Prayer of Thanks
When no verse comes to mind, use three parts:
- Thank God for the reading.
- Name one phrase from it.
- Ask for help with one small step.
A prayer to pray: God, thank you for today's reading. Keep one phrase with me, and if I miss tomorrow, help me begin again.
For longer prayer, see praying Scripture or Scripture meditation; the site also has a daily Prayer for Today and Bible verses about prayer (KJV wording).
Traditional Prayers Before Reading Scripture
Many churches keep prayers for reading Scripture. These three appear with their sources, in no ranking; they are church prayers, not Scripture.
The Book of Common Prayer Collect
The Anglican Collect for the Second Sunday in Advent is a prayer about Scripture that readers also pray before reading. It begins:
"Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning" (excerpt, Book of Common Prayer, 1662)
It then asks to "hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them" (excerpt); the full text is on the Church of England website. Its Epistle is Romans 15:4-13, and in 2026 that Sunday is December 6.
An Orthodox Prayer Before Scripture
The Orthodox Church in America lists a prayer titled "Before Reading the Holy Scripture". It opens, "Illumine our hearts, O Master Who lovest mankind" (excerpt), and asks God to open the eyes of the mind to the gospel teachings.
A Catholic Prayer to the Holy Spirit
The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (question 561) says the Church urges calling on the Holy Spirit on every occasion. Its common prayers include "Come, Holy Spirit" (Veni, Sancte Spiritus):
"Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home / Shed a ray of light divine!" (excerpt, Compendium of the Catechism)
Readers in any tradition can use a prayer from their own church, or their own words.
Opening and Closing Prayers for a Bible Study Group
For a group or family, change "I" to "we," keep it under a minute, and have one person read the verse aloud first (see how to lead a Bible study).
An opening prayer for Bible study: Lord, open our eyes as we read together.
A closing prayer for Bible study: God, thank you for today's reading. Help us be doers of your word, not only hearers.
Make a One-Line Prayer Your Daily Reading Cue
Habit stacking ties a new habit to an existing one (see how to read the Bible daily). Here the prayer is the cue: pray the same line at the same moment each day, such as sitting down with coffee, and it marks that reading has begun.
Keep it under a minute. If you forget the prayer, read anyway; after missed days, pray the "coming back" line and open the next unfinished reading.
| Moment | Prayer to use | Where it is in this post |
|---|---|---|
| Before reading | Lord, open my eyes as I read today. | Psalm 119:18 |
| Tired or distracted | God, my mind is busy. Quiet it. | One-line prayers |
| A hard passage | Help me read it patiently. | One-line prayers |
| After reading | Show me one way to live it today. | James 1:22 |
| Coming back after missed days | Help me start with the next reading. | One-line prayers |
| With a group | Open our eyes as we read together. | Group prayers |
The free BibleMate web reader fits this cue: "Continue reading" opens the first unfinished day of your plan, and each reader page shows that day's time estimate. It uses the NHEB, the text quoted here, and needs no account. More help: tips for consistency and starting daily Bible reading.
Pray One Line, Then Open Today's Reading
Three small moves are enough: one line to begin, the next reading, one line to close. For longer time with God, see quiet time with God, daily devotions or lectio divina.
BibleMate is on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android, free to download with optional in-app purchases. Prefer your browser? The free web reader needs no account.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you say before reading the Bible?
A short, honest request for attention and understanding, such as "Lord, open my eyes as I read today" (drawn from Psalm 119:18). No formula is required.
Are you supposed to pray before reading the Bible?
Many Christians pray first, often in one line, but it is a help, not a requirement. If you forget, read and pray afterward.
What is a short prayer before reading the Bible?
Try: "God, help me understand what I read today." You can pray it silently.
What do you pray after reading the Bible?
Give thanks, name one phrase to carry, and ask help for one small step (see the James 1:22 prayer).
What do people say before and after reading Scripture in church?
Many churches announce the book, chapter and verse first. In many liturgical churches, after the reading, the reader says "The word of the Lord" and the people answer "Thanks be to God," a common practice, not a rule. Follow your own church's order of service.
