Double Whammy

Have you loved digging into prayer as much as I have?

I must confess, this is an area in which I consider myself very weak.   When it comes to Bible study and digging into the Word – I get hyped up and ready to go.  But prayer just doesn’t come as naturally to me.

I shared my struggle with an older believer several years ago and she encouraged me to pray Scripture.    Also, through reading the Power of a Praying … books by Stormie Omartian, I learned of the great power of praying God’s Word back to Him.     What could be more useful in developing a prayer life than using the very Word of God as a foundation for our conversations? It’s sort of a “double whammy” in our prayers.

I was encouraging our senior adults at church to use Scripture in their prayers and one gentlemen said to me, “We aren’t all Bible scholars like you!”    Let me assure you – I’m no Bible scholar!  In fact, as I responded to this dear man, “I wasn’t born with this knowledge of Scripture.”   I’ve been investing in it for many years.     It’s not so much about how much Scripture you know, rather praying Scripture is realizing the truth of God’s Word and claiming it in your life.

Tomorrow, during Your Turn, we’ll be going through a passage and praying through it.  But for today, I’d like to share with you some of the ways using Scripture can build your prayer life.

Understanding God’s Character

As we study Scripture we grow in our understanding of God’s character and how that relates to our lives.   By recognizing that He is love (1 John 4:8), we can come to Him acknowledging that He loves us and desires the best for us … even when we don’t understand His ways (Isaiah 55:9).

Trusting God’s Promises

Throughout Scripture we find the promises of God and as we pray we have confidence that He will save us (John 3:16), that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7), that He will forgive us (1 John 1:9), that His plan is for our good (Jeremiah 29:11) and so many more.  Knowing God’s promises gives us confidence in our relationship with Him and helps us trust in His care for our lives.

Recognizing God’s Faithfulness

Throughout the Bible we see that God is faithful to His people … both the Israelites in the Old Testament and the early church in the New.    We can pray to the same “God who sees me” as Hagar did (Genesis 16:13), the “God who heals me” as Miriam (Exodus 15:26),  the “Lord, my Rock” as David (Psalm 144:1), the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 22:13).

Claiming God’s Provision

Throughout Scripture we find abundant reminders that God will provide for all our needs.   We find that He will give us rest (Psalm 23:2), protection (Isaiah 43:2), food and clothing (Matthew 6:25-32), wisdom (James 1:5) and so much more.

Learning to pray Scripture is an amazing way to grow your prayer life. I have specific prayers for my daughter and my husband – claiming Scripture for their lives.   And as I read my Bible each day, I use the passages I have read as a foundation for my prayers … asking God to change me to match His Word.  I have found great comfort and peace in learning to pray Scripture and I hope you will be encouraged to do the same!

How do you incorporate Scripture into your prayers?

Recommended Reading:

Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler

Praying the Names of Jesus by Ann Spangler

Any of the Power of a Praying books by Stormie Omartian

Praying God’s Word by Beth Moore

Praying the Psalms by Elmer Towns {Mr. Towns has written several books about praying through specific passages of Scripture.}