While not heralded as one of the key pillar disciplines of the Christian walk, those who like myself who develop and practice praying the Bible will testify to how it transforms their prayer life and leads them to deeper and more intimate relationship with the Lord. Personally I believe that praying the Bible is a two-edged sword, pun intended. In order to pray the Bible it helps to already have it in you. When you pray the Bible, its truth just digs in a little deeper each time.
So, what exactly is praying the Bible? In short, it is exactly what it says it is. It is taking a verse, passage or chapter of scripture and using it to inspire and structure your communication with the Father. What a better way to ensure that you are praying according to His will other than praying His Word back to him.
Why Pray the Bible?
The short answer is twofold. First it anchors our prayers in God’s will and His truth. Second, it gives us a pattern and framework to follow so we are not tossed to and fro by our whims, wants and needs often resulting in prayers that are repetitive and often have very little power to them. To that point, at times we even question ourselves if God even hears our prayers.
- Assurance of God’s Will: The Bible explicitly states that God hears us when we pray according to His will (1 John 5:14). When you pray the Word of God, you have the greatest assurance that your requests align with His heart and purposes.
- ‘Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.’ 1 John 5:14-15
- Guidance in the Conversation: Praying the Bible gives our prayers structure and guides us into prayers that more align with His heart. The Bible is Jesus speaking directly to us. Praying the Bible turns prayer from a one-sided monologue into a dynamic conversation where you respond to what God has already said.
- Biblically Saturated Prayers: Praying the Bible is also another way to saturate our mind, heart and spirit with His Word. As we pray His word, it renews our mind, brings peace to our heart and strengthens our spirit. My focus is turned from my wants and needs and to His priorities and I pray in accordance with God’s character, His kingdom, and the needs of others.
- Gives Vocabulary: There are days and times, especially when we are in distress and overwhelmed with our own concerns or out of concern for someone else, we honestly just don’t know what or how to pray. Scriptures provide the words, giving you a rich vocabulary of worship, confession, and petition.
How to Pray the Bible
Praying the Bible is simple, but it requires intentionality. The key is to slow down and let the text and the still small voice of the Holy Spirit guide you as you pray.
- Select a Passage: Choose a verse, passage, or even a whole chapter to focus on.
- My favorite place to start when learning to pray the Bible is the Lord’s Prayer.
- The Psalms are another really good place to start as they are also already songs and prayers to the Father.
- Read and Understand: Read the passage slowly, perhaps multiple times. Ask yourself:
- What does this passage reveal about God’s character (His holiness, love, power, etc.)?y need, my relationship with God)?
- What does it ask me to do or believe?
- Personalize and Apply:
- Take one phrase at a time; read it out loud as it is written
- Then take the words of the phrase and say them in your own words.
- Personalize it – Insert I , we, or a specific person’s name as appropriate.
- Keep your ears and heart open to hear the leading of the Holy Spirit.
- For the word of God is living and powerful, Hebrews 4:12
- Focus on that phrase for as long as you feel like you have something to say about it and then move on to the next phrase.
- Continue to repeat until you have prayed through the portion of scripture selected.
The Benefits of Praying the Bible
When you consistently pray the Bible, you will experience powerful growth and transformation:
- Deepened Intimacy with God: In any relationship where there is deep and consistent communication the intimacy level of the relationship is deepened, So it is when we pray the Bible it becomes a dialogue. As we spend more time focusing on His thoughts and truths both about himself and ourselves, we are drawn closer and deeper in our relationship with Him.
- Spiritual Transformation: As you pray the Word, we grow closer to Him as just mentioned. As we do, the Truth of His Word renews our minds and transforms our lives so that we conform more and more with the image of Christ.
- ‘But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ II Corinthians 3:18
- Increased Faith and Confidence: Since you are praying God’s own words, your faith is strengthened, knowing that He desires to answer what He has promised.
- ‘Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.’ 1 John 5:14-15
- So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
- Greater Focus: Praying the bible and having the scripture in front of you makes it easier to stay on track and limits the opportunities for “mind drift.”
- Richer Vocabulary: When you are praying the Bible, even if you are praying a familiar verse or one that you have prayed in the past, every time is fresh and new. You develop a whole new language for talking to the Father whether it is praise, confession, or petition.
- Discipline to Delight: As you grow in praying the Bible you will begin to realize that you are praying scripture even at other times when you are not planning to do so. It just comes out of you. In addition and finally, where you once dreaded your prayer time and considered a chore that you HAD to do, you will find prayer is something that you can’t wait to do. It will become a joy and and a delight.
Those that I have had the pleasure of praying with can attest that I tend to pray the Bible pretty much anytime that I am praying with others. I don’t say this out of pride, it is just an example of how spending the time and energy to develop this skill can truly transform your prayer life and for that matter your WHOLE life.