Praying the scriptures of the Bible to the Lord is a powerful way to grow your prayer life. Keep reading to learn why this prayer strategy is important and how to pray scripture.
Are you looking for ways to grow your prayer life and improve your regular quiet time with God? Perhaps you desire to pray more powerful prayers for your friends and family in need but you are unsure of where to start.
One of the most powerful ways to pray is by praying the scriptures. This involves incorporating the words of the bible into the prayers that you pray, thus praying the word of God back to him. This not only encourages you through the power of hearing the word of God, but this allows you to use the most powerful weapon we have as Christians, God’s living word! This post will help encourage you to incorporate a habit of praying the scriptures into your quiet time with God in order to create a war room prayer full of power!
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What is Praying the Scriptures?
Praying scripture is simply the act of using passages from the Bible as a guide and inspiration for your prayers. It involves reading a verse or passage from the Bible and then incorporating it into your prayer language, either word for word or by paraphrasing.
The idea behind praying scripture comes from Hebrews 4:12 which states:
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
This bible verse tells us that God’s word is powerful and effective and when we pray His word we are activating the power he gives us.
When we pray the scriptures we are not just reciting words, we are speaking God’s truth and promises over our lives and situations. It is a way to align our prayers with the will of God and declare His word over our lives.
While there are many different prayer models you can use, using this powerful prayer strategy is a great way to not only deepen your prayer life but also easily incorporate more bible study into your daily routine! Let’s look at a few steps for getting started with this prayer strategy.
4 Easy Steps for Praying the Scriptures back to the Lord
Now that we understand what praying scriptures is, let’s take a look at practical advice for applying this strategy to your prayer life. Here are 5 simple steps for incorporating praying the scriptures into your daily prayer plans.
Choose a verse or passage from the Bible:
Praying scriptures starts with immersing ourselves in the powerful word of God. When selecting verses, it is beneficial to choose a specific verse or passage that resonates with your present situation, struggle, or desires of your heart.
This could encompass a wide range of themes, such as seeking divine healing and protection, seeking guidance and direction, or seeking strength and fortitude in times of adversity. By diving into the depths of the scriptures, we open ourselves up to a profound connection with the divine and find solace, inspiration, and empowerment in our spiritual journey.
Read the verse slowly and thoughtfully:
In this next step of praying the scriptures, it is important to take intentional time to read the verse. By having access to several translations, you can gain further insights into the true essence of the verse. Read each verse slowly and thoughtfully, allowing its words to sink in and providing you with an understanding of what it reveals about the Lord.
To aid in this, I highly recommend utilizing a prayer method such as the P.R.A.Y. Acronym prayer. This method will guide you in extracting deeper meaning and significance from the verse, enabling you to connect with its message on a more profound level. Additionally, a Bible concordance can serve as a valuable tool throughout this process.
Meditate on those scriptures
This next step goes hand in hand the with previous. After reading through the verse thoughtfully you will want to meditate on the word, breaking down important words and translating into the original Hebrew meaning.
A prayer journal is a wonderful tool that allows you to record your thoughts, insights, and heartfelt prayers as you study the word of God. Additionally, I highly recommend studying related verses and passages to gain a better understanding and enrich your spiritual journey even further.
Pray with those scriptures
Now that you have read, studied and meditated on the verse it is time to pray using these powerful words. You can either use the exact words from the scripture or paraphrase them into your own prayers.
Speak these words with conviction and faith, knowing that you are speaking the truth of God’s word over your life.
Wait to hear from the Lord
Prayer is a two way conversation and requires both speaking AND active listening. God is always ready to speak to us, prayer offers us a quiet time to sit before him and listen. That being said, we should be intentional about hearing from the Lord during our prayer time. If you are struggling to hear from God, I encourage you to continue praying the same scriptures over and over again until His voice becomes clear.
Trust in God’s promises
Lastly, it is important to trust in God’s promises as you pray the scriptures. Our prayers should be a reflection of our faith in God and his ability to fulfill his promises. Have confidence that as you pray the scriptures, God is working and moving in your life and circumstances.
Also Read: Undoubted Faith: 7 Powerful Prayers for Faith and Trust in God
What are the benefits of praying scriptures
There are so many benefits to incorporating the practice of praying scriptures into your prayer life. One of which is as simple as the fact that sometimes we can’t find the right words to say when we pray. Praying the scriptures is one of the easiest ways to clear any prayer block and begin to speak to God. Here are a few more reasons why praying the scriptures is one of the most powerful forms of prayer:
Praying the Scriptures Connects us to God
When we pray the scriptures, we are actively engaging with God’s word and inviting Him into our prayer time. This deepens our relationship with Him and allows us to connect with Him on a deeper level.
Praying the Scriptures Aligns our Prayers with God’s Will
As we us this scripture prayer strategy and pray the promises of God over our lives, we are aligning our prayers with God’s will and tapping into His power. This helps us to pray with confidence in our time of need, knowing that we are praying according to His plans and purposes.
Praying the Scriptures Encourages and Strengthens Our Faith
Reading and speaking God’s promises over our lives can have a profound impact on our faith and overall well-being. By immersing ourselves in these divine assurances, we are reminded of the depth of God’s love for us and are fortified in our trust in Him. This not only brings encouragement but also instills a sense of hope, peace, and assurance in our hearts. It serves as a constant reminder of the unwavering faithfulness of God and empowers us to face life’s challenges with renewed confidence and strength.
Praying Scriptures tunes our hearing to the voice of the Lord
Praying the scriptures allows us to actively listen to God, enabling us to discern His voice and understand His purpose for our lives. As we spend time in the presence of God through prayer and meditation on his word, our hearts become attuned to His voice and we can more clearly hear His direction for our lives. This helps us to make informed decisions and take purposeful steps toward fulfilling our divine destiny.
Also Read: Hearing the Voice of God: 11 Powerful Bible Verses about Listening to God’s Voice
It allows you to pray powerful, effective prayers based on God’s truth
Using the scriptures as a guide for your prayers adds depth and power to your words. It allows you to speak God’s truth and promises over yourself and others with greater authority. This in turn gives you more opportunities to see the Lord’s hand working in your life through the power of prayer.
Examples of Praying Scriptures
Now that we have a better understanding of what Praying the scriptures is, and the great power behind using this prayer strategy, here are a few examples of praying words of scripture. Below there are bible verses and corresponding prayers using the scripture to help you go to the throne of grace.
Scripture: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16
Prayer: O Lord thank you for loving me. Thank you for giving your son for my salvation! I praise you for eternal life through Jesus Christ! In your holy name, Amen
Scripture: For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, your plans for me give me hope for the future. They are good and will not harm me. I trust you with my future and ask your guidance as I walk the path you have placed before me. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Scripture: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight
Prayer: Lord in heaven, I acknowledge that my ways are not your ways. Lord help me to not lean on my own understanding, but to instead trust you. I long to walk in the way you have prepared for me. Help me to align my ways to your ways. In the name of Christ Jesus, Amen
As you can see, these prayers are short and sweet, but powerful because they are echoing the life giving power of the Word of God.
Scripture List to Pray through
One additional aspect of praying scriptures back to God is having a ready list of verses that you can use to pray. One way to do this is with the use of a bible concordance. These books include an exhaustive list of words that are used in the bible. It allows you to focus in on a topic that you may be wanting to create a prayer strategy for and find specific promises that stick out for your individual prayer needs.
Additionally you can be intentional during your quiet time with God and listen to the holy spirit for promises, commands, and verses that can be used as rhema for your war room prayer.
During my study, and prayer journaling time I have been creating lists of prayer points and scriptures to use when praying over different needs that I come across both for myself and for others. Here are some ideas of scriptures to use to pray for different subjects
- Deliverance scriptures to pray
- Marriage scriptures to pray
- Healing scriptures to pray
- Scriptures to pray over your children
- Scriptures to pray for confidence
- Scriptures to pray for peace
- Praying scriptures for your faith
- Praying scriptures for guidance and direction
Pray the scriptures daily for a deeper spiritual life
Living a life of prayer has been a cornerstone of the Christian faith since the beginning. Praying the scriptures is an often-neglected yet powerful strategy to incorporate into your prayer life. When we take the time to biblical study and then pray those words back to God in our own words, we are aligning our prayers with his promises, tuning our ears to His voice, and growing and strengthening our faith.
Through this simple practice, we can open up greater communication with God and receive more answers from Him than ever before. You don’t have to be overly creative or use fancy language – just trust that His Spirit will interpret your simple conversations back to Him as an act of worship. Start praying the scriptures today and see God’s power unlocked in your life.
Make a commitment with yourself right now and start spending time in conversation and communion with Him every day – He’s ready to hear what you have to say!
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