One of the most powerful spiritual principles is the pattern of praying Scripture. Yet sadly, this great spiritual dynamic is neglected in many modern saints.
While praying Scripture can sound challenging, it is not out of reach for any believer. Scripture-based praying can be verbatim or in our own normal words that flow from particular verses. Once believers understand the simplicity of praying God’s Word, it can revolutionize both their Bible-reading and their prayer lives.
In my upcoming book, Praying and Memorizing God’s Word, believers learn to turn daily Scripture-reading into a powerful dialogue with God.
With a little effort and thought, God’s Own words can begin to flow naturally through our own words and prayers. Though we must choose to develop it, the Holy Spirit will greatly bless efforts to pray more from God’s Word. Over time, powerful biblical prayers will become natural and second nature. Just about any daily Scripture reading can flow into powerful prayers of response. Consider two practical steps for turning any Scripture into a prayer.
First, cultivate the habit of praying key Scriptures back to God in daily Bible readings. When a particular Scripture speaks to your heart, simply pray it back to the Lord. In the many different ways God speaks through Scriptures, we can learn to respond with a corresponding form of prayer. Consider five practical examples. 1. If a Scripture brings conviction, simply confess the sin and ask God’s forgiveness. 2. When a Scripture reveals a promise, praise God for the promise and thank Him for the coming answer. 3. If the Scripture conveys an instruction, tell God of your commitment to obey that word. 4. When a verse reveals a particular attribute of God, praise Him for that attribute. 5. If a Scripture reminds of a danger or warning, pray for God’s deliverance and protection.
Second, if you write in a daily journal, practice re-writing some of your key insights in the form of a prayer. (For those who do not journal, I strongly recommend it.) Turning key insights into a prayer is key to becoming a “doer” of what God is speaking through Scripture. It is important to realize prayer is the primary way we embrace what God is speaking to our hearts.
Prayer is the main way we respond in obedience to what God is saying. It takes our Bible reading from doctrine and ideas to personal application and experience. If we ask God’s guidance, any Scripture can become a prayer lifted back to His throne.
Obviously, a crucial key to Spirit-guided prayer is to fill our minds and hearts with God’s word. In John 15:7 Jesus specifically stated that we “abide in Him by abiding in His words.” Jesus further stated that a primary key to answered prayer is “His words abiding in us.” A most powerful way to abide in Christ’s Word is to voice it back to Him in a prayer. For additional help on praying Scripture, call Gregory Frizzell Prayer and Renewal Ministries, Inc. at 864/777-0782 or email info@frizzellministries.org.
