Explore the Bible®

Praying Scripture

by

*This is the second article in a 3-part series on praying Scripture. Here’s a link to the first article, in case you missed it: Three Ways We Can Encourage Praying Scripture – Explore the Bible (lifeway.com)

In your Adult Explore the Bible resources, you will begin to see an emphasis on praying Scripture. While all prayer is important, praying God’s Word back to Him allows believers to align their attitudes away from self-centered requests to a focus on the heart and character of God. It transforms our prayers from a “my will be done” mentality to a “thy will be done” mentality. To help you understand this a little better, we’re providing this quick FAQ related to developing a habit of praying Scripture.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “PRAY SCRIPTURE”?

Simply put, these are prayers that are informed by and result from study of the Bible. Prayer is a dialogue between God and His people. And when we pray Scripture, His Word provides His voice in that conversation.

WHY IS PRAYING SCRIPTURE SO IMPORTANT?

One intent of our Bible study time should be to understand God’s will and heart, to plug into His character as it’s revealed in Scripture. We are seeking to align our hearts and our desires with His Word. That should carry over to our prayer life. Left to ourselves, prayer can easily be a laundry list of our wants and desires to the exclusion of God’s wants and desires. Praying Scripture keeps our prayers out of the ditch of self-centeredness and pride.

CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF PRAYING A SCRIPTURE PASSAGE?

One of the best approaches to praying Scripture is asking two questions when examining a Bible verse or passage: 

• What does God reveal about Himself in this passage?
• How do I respond to how He reveals Himself?

As an example, in the context of the apostles choosing a replacement for Judas, Acts 1:24 states, “You, Lord, know everyone’s hearts; show which of these two you have chosen.” What we find out about God here is that He knows everything, including our hearts. We also discover that He has plans for each of us. That was true for the two men being considered for this position, and it’s true for us too. 

A prayer of response to what God reveals in Acts 1:24 could sound something like this: “God I am grateful that you know me better than I know myself. Help me know my heart like You do. Show me the things that keep me from being all You created me to be. I’m available to do whatever You desire, trusting that You will also show others what those desires are so they can support me in the tasks You place before me. I place my confidence in You and You alone.”

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. David Smith says

    Amber,

    Don Whitney’s short book “Praying the Bible” is my go-to resource for praying the Scriptures. He was one of my seminary professors when I was at Midwestern Seminary in the mid-90s. I have nearly every book he’s written.

    David

    • Amber Vaden says

      I’ll have to get that book! Don Whitney is just outstanding. His books on spiritual disciplines are classics. Thank you for sharing his name!

  3. DAN SAFFELDER says

    I always sort of thought that praying Scripture would be actually reciting the prayers that appear in the Scripture, such as some of Paul’s prayers in Ephesians and elsewhere as well as those from the Psalms. From this article (2nd in the series – I did not see the 1st), it seems to me what is being suggested here is to pray Scripturally, not praying Scripture. I am in total agreement that we should pray Scripturally as Jesus taught in the model prayer, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” How better to pray His will that to align or prayers with the Word of God which is the best source of His will. To me, praying Scripture is akin to singing Scripture ( you just can’t go too far off base that way for sure). Praying Scripturally would be akin to singing hymns and other spiritual songs that are awash with biblical truths. I am not trying to make a case for one or the other as I feel both are important and valid. Conversational prayer with our Heavenly Father is another crucial aspect of our prayer lives.

  4. Patti Webb says

    I was excited to read your article “Three Ways We Can Encourage Praying Scripture” in our Leader Guide. Letting God’s Word guide my thoughts in prayer has been a powerful tool in my prayer life. Sarah Maddox and I have a new book, Woman’s Prayers. Each of the 81 devotionals give Scriptures to guide our thoughts in prayer on topics such as “Handling our Emotions,” “Dealing with Expectations,” or “Growing Through Life’s Seasons.” A prayer follows those Scriptures in each devotional. A companion book, Mother’s Prayers, contain Scriptures and prayer to use in interceding for your children. Click on the books for the link for each book. These books are also in Spanish, a great resource to share with our Hispanic friends.
    You can find the books on Amazon. Search for book by Patti Webb or Sarah Maddox to find them.