Post by Michael on Jun 28, 2006 8:09:39 GMT -5
PRAYING SCRIPTURE
One of the more powerful forms of prayer is to take scriptural commands, promises, or principles that are specifically for you today and pray them back to the Lord. In this way you know you are praying according to His will and that He will answer (I John 5:13-14).
This can be done in several ways, three of which are mentioned here with samples.
Pray Specific Verse to God
This would be easy to do during your quiet time when you come across a verse that is meaningful to you. For example, when you read Psalm 55:22, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall," you may want to pray:
Lord, help me to always give You all my problems and cares. Please remind me to do so whenever problems come. Are there any problems or cares I need to turn over to You right now that I've been holding on to? Thank you that you do sustain me and will not let me fall. Many times I have seen You do this. What a good God You are!
Pray Passage of Scripture
You will find that the prayers of Paul in Ephesians 1:17-19, Philippians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9-12, and of others, and David in Psalms are excellent.
An example of this could be from Psalm 103. Read verse 1, "Bless the Lord, O my soul:and all that is within me, bless His holy name"(NASB). Then pray:
Father, I do bless Your Holy name. You are worthy of all praise and honor. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior.
Then read verse 2, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits"(NASB). Pray:
Thank You, Lord, for all the blessings You give to Your children. How I thank You for the privilege of coming to You in prayer at any time. Thank You for letting me live in a land where I am free to worship You. Please be with those who love You and do not have such a privilege. Encourage them and strengthen them to be able to withstand all the pressures that are put on them to compromise their faith. Please meet their daily needs as You've promised You will.
Continue on until you get to the end of the psalm.
Pray Theme Scriptures
This type of praying is very appropriate when you have an ongoing concern or often find yourself praying for the type of request in the theme. This might focus on such topics as finances, fear, desirable character qualities, salvation, or troubles. You will need to do a little scriptural research to find appropriate verses and link them together in prayer. A concordance or Nave's Topical Bible is very helpful in finding the best verses. Write them all out, and put them together in a logical sequence to use in intercession.
(from "Power House" by Glen Martin & Dian Ginter)
One of the more powerful forms of prayer is to take scriptural commands, promises, or principles that are specifically for you today and pray them back to the Lord. In this way you know you are praying according to His will and that He will answer (I John 5:13-14).
This can be done in several ways, three of which are mentioned here with samples.
Pray Specific Verse to God
This would be easy to do during your quiet time when you come across a verse that is meaningful to you. For example, when you read Psalm 55:22, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall," you may want to pray:
Lord, help me to always give You all my problems and cares. Please remind me to do so whenever problems come. Are there any problems or cares I need to turn over to You right now that I've been holding on to? Thank you that you do sustain me and will not let me fall. Many times I have seen You do this. What a good God You are!
Pray Passage of Scripture
You will find that the prayers of Paul in Ephesians 1:17-19, Philippians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9-12, and of others, and David in Psalms are excellent.
An example of this could be from Psalm 103. Read verse 1, "Bless the Lord, O my soul:and all that is within me, bless His holy name"(NASB). Then pray:
Father, I do bless Your Holy name. You are worthy of all praise and honor. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior.
Then read verse 2, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits"(NASB). Pray:
Thank You, Lord, for all the blessings You give to Your children. How I thank You for the privilege of coming to You in prayer at any time. Thank You for letting me live in a land where I am free to worship You. Please be with those who love You and do not have such a privilege. Encourage them and strengthen them to be able to withstand all the pressures that are put on them to compromise their faith. Please meet their daily needs as You've promised You will.
Continue on until you get to the end of the psalm.
Pray Theme Scriptures
This type of praying is very appropriate when you have an ongoing concern or often find yourself praying for the type of request in the theme. This might focus on such topics as finances, fear, desirable character qualities, salvation, or troubles. You will need to do a little scriptural research to find appropriate verses and link them together in prayer. A concordance or Nave's Topical Bible is very helpful in finding the best verses. Write them all out, and put them together in a logical sequence to use in intercession.
(from "Power House" by Glen Martin & Dian Ginter)