Pastor John, here's a very common question that we get emailed to us by friends who listen into this podcast, and it usually goes something like this. "I don't like to read, period, and it has nothing to do with the Bible. I just don't like to read. How do I stay motivated, then, to read on a daily basis?" Let's start this way, six very short and I hope very obvious statements that have huge implications about reading.

Number one, the Bible is a book. Number two, it is inspired by God. Number three, it is all true and profitable for our faith, our salvation, our holiness. Number four, it lies dormant and useless unless it is read. Reading is the only key that unlocks writing, even inspired writing.

Five, therefore, we must have this message either by our own reading or through the reading of another. Six, so if we do not read, and millions, of course, can't read, quite apart from whether you want to or not, millions can't read yet, they're pre-literate. Even if we do not read or can't read, then we must avail ourselves of others' reading, namely by live or recorded reading of the Word.

So this is probably why Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4.12, "Until I come, devote yourself to the reading of Scripture." Now, almost all the translations say "public reading of Scripture," and that's probably right. Paul is telling Timothy, "Be sure the Scriptures are read every gathering. Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching." Many, probably, among the new believers, perhaps couldn't read, yet they were dependent on the reading.

So today, we can listen. For example, the ESV study Bible, I was just using it the other day at the gym. I just clicked on it. The ESV study Bible has a little part to its app that can tell you to read what you're looking at. It reads it to you, and the reading is good.

I like this guy, the way he reads to me. And it scrolls as you read, so you can let him do the reading while you actually look at the words. So that's my compromise answer to the question. The Word of God going into our minds and hearts day and night is essential.

Psalm 1, "Meditate on the law of the Lord day and night." It's essential if we're going to be like trees planted by water when the desert winds are blowing from all around us. So if you can't bring yourself to read, then by all means, listen to the Word of God every day.

Now, before I quit, I've got to ask a few questions to our friend. God might use these questions to stir you up to more freely and joyfully make the effort to read. So here are my questions. Number one, have you seriously considered that God himself has appointed reading as the way to know the mystery of Christ?

That God himself, no fluke of history, no conspiracy of intellectuals, but God himself decided that it should be so. Ephesians 3, 3 and 4, "The mystery was made known to me," the apostle says, "by revelation, and I have written briefly." By reading this, it's a participle, by reading this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ.

That's amazing. God has appointed reading as a pathway into the mystery of the living Christ. Wow. Number two, here's a second question. Have you considered there are millions of people around the world, and there have been millions in history, that would have given almost anything if someone would teach them how to read.

They have intuited that not being able to read makes a person a blind man in a world of light. In other words, have you thought seriously what gift you have? You probably got it in the third grade. What gift you have that you simply can read, a gift that many would almost die to have.

Number three, third question, have you considered that the greatness of what you read really can turn reading into a pleasure, even for those who don't like the act of reading itself? For example, let me illustrate. Would you enjoy reading a letter that begins, "Dear sir, you are the beneficiary of a million-dollar inheritance.

Please read on." Seriously. What would happen to your pleasure factor in reading? Or here's another question. Would you find pleasure in reading a note from your doctor telling you your surgery was completely successful, the cancer is entirely removed, and the likelihood of it returning is virtually zero? How would you feel as you read on through the paragraph?

Would reading be a burden? Would you find pleasure in reading a letter from your long-alienated son telling you that he has trusted in Christ and would like to come home? Would that be a burden to read the rest of that letter? Would you enjoy reading an affidavit from your attorney explaining that the legal suit against you and your business has been dropped?

Would that be a burden? Would you find pleasure in reading that letter? In other words, it is possible that if you saw enough glory, enough beauty, enough thrilling news in what you were reading, that you would have the motivation to do it with joy. And lastly, I would ask, have you prayed?

Have you asked for the illumination and motivation that you need? But I'll end where I began. I don't want to make it impossible. I'll end where I began. Don't let your disinclination to read stop you from taking the Word of God in. Listen with your phone in the bathroom.

Listen in the car. Listen when exercising. Listen, listen, listen. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Those are some great motivations for reading in general. Thank you, Pastor John. And if you struggle to read the Bible in particular, which is not an uncommon problem, see also episode number 438, which is titled "Six Tips If You Find the Bible Hard to Read." That's in the podcast archive.

We turn our attention to prayer next week and welcome a special guest to the podcast, Tim Keller. You may have heard of him, and you may know that he has a book on prayer releasing soon. So I've gathered up 10 questions on prayer. We'll get him on the phone, and I'll ask him rapid fire.

And if everything works right, I'll ask him two questions in each of the five podcasts next week, beginning on Monday. It should be fun. I'll start by asking him to explain what our prayerlessness says about us, and then I'll ask him how he learned to pray by using the prayers of the Psalms.

I'm your host Tony Reinke. Have a wonderful weekend. 1. What is prayer? 2. What is prayer? 3. What is prayer?