Why pray? We pray for many reasons. For example, prayer is being obedient to God, because He commands us to pray.
Philippians 4:6-7: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Prayer is an example given for us by Christ (Mark 5) and the early church (Acts 1). So, if Jesus felt it was worthwhile to pray, then we should also! We pray to help us with small decisions as well as big decisions. We pray for help in our day-to-day life and for us to live a life that honors and glorifies our Lord.
We come to God with specific requests and have God’s promise that all our prayers are not in vain, even if we don’t receive exactly what we asked for. Sometimes, we don’t know how to pray which is where the Holy Spirit will help us.
Romans 8:26-27: “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[a] in harmony with God’s own will.”
There is a simple saying that says, “Prayers un-prayed will be prayers unanswered.” God said we often go without because we do not ask (James 4:2). So, clearly, prayer is essential in a believer’s life.
One aspect of prayer is to simply pray Scripture. Maybe you do this now, but if not, it can greatly help your prayer life. Here is one example in God’s Word. In Acts 4, Peter and John healed a disabled man, then Peter started preaching. In the middle of the sermon, they are arrested. They spend the night in jail, then the next day face the Sanhedrin, who try to intimidate them to quit talking about Jesus. They refused and then they were released.
Peter and John immediately go to their church family and the following happens:
Acts 4:23-31: “When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
They immediately and spontaneously began to pray. They gave their situation to the Lord, and they prayed Scripture, specifically Psalm 2:1-2. They recognized that opposition is for people identified with Christ. They celebrated God’s sovereignty; they gave confidence that
God was in control working out His plan.
The result is they are filled with Holy Spirit, which is realized by something we in California are all familiar with: an earthquake! Finally, it said they spoke with boldness, which is what all of us should have: boldness in the Lord!
Now, why should you pray Scripture? There are many benefits. Here are just a few of those benefits of praying Scripture:
You should pray Scripture because…
Below are just a few subjects with a Bible passage you could use in prayer:
Praising God - Exodus 15:2 “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him— my father’s God, and I will exalt him!”
Struggling with Lack of Faith – Mark 9:24 “The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (dad who had a young son with an evil spirit in him)
During Hard Times – Psalm 4:1 “Answer me when I call to you, O God who declares me innocent. Free me from my troubles. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.”
Praying for Boldness – Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Praying for God’s Guidance & Direction – 1 Chronicles 16:11 “Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.”
Praying for Family & Friends – Colossians 1:10 - “Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”
God wants to hear from us. May God glorify His name in our lives as we come to Him often in prayer.
Philippians 4:6-7: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Prayer is an example given for us by Christ (Mark 5) and the early church (Acts 1). So, if Jesus felt it was worthwhile to pray, then we should also! We pray to help us with small decisions as well as big decisions. We pray for help in our day-to-day life and for us to live a life that honors and glorifies our Lord.
We come to God with specific requests and have God’s promise that all our prayers are not in vain, even if we don’t receive exactly what we asked for. Sometimes, we don’t know how to pray which is where the Holy Spirit will help us.
Romans 8:26-27: “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[a] in harmony with God’s own will.”
There is a simple saying that says, “Prayers un-prayed will be prayers unanswered.” God said we often go without because we do not ask (James 4:2). So, clearly, prayer is essential in a believer’s life.
One aspect of prayer is to simply pray Scripture. Maybe you do this now, but if not, it can greatly help your prayer life. Here is one example in God’s Word. In Acts 4, Peter and John healed a disabled man, then Peter started preaching. In the middle of the sermon, they are arrested. They spend the night in jail, then the next day face the Sanhedrin, who try to intimidate them to quit talking about Jesus. They refused and then they were released.
Peter and John immediately go to their church family and the following happens:
Acts 4:23-31: “When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
They immediately and spontaneously began to pray. They gave their situation to the Lord, and they prayed Scripture, specifically Psalm 2:1-2. They recognized that opposition is for people identified with Christ. They celebrated God’s sovereignty; they gave confidence that
God was in control working out His plan.
The result is they are filled with Holy Spirit, which is realized by something we in California are all familiar with: an earthquake! Finally, it said they spoke with boldness, which is what all of us should have: boldness in the Lord!
Now, why should you pray Scripture? There are many benefits. Here are just a few of those benefits of praying Scripture:
You should pray Scripture because…
- God’s people did in the Old Testament and New Testament.
- Jesus did.
- It glorifies God the Father.
- It helps you focus on what is important.
- It helps you understand Scripture better.
- It helps you pray confidently because when you pray back Scripture, you can be 100% confident that the Scripture you are praying is pleasing to God; it’s His Word!
- Often, when we don’t know what to pray, Scripture can give us the words.
Below are just a few subjects with a Bible passage you could use in prayer:
Praising God - Exodus 15:2 “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him— my father’s God, and I will exalt him!”
Struggling with Lack of Faith – Mark 9:24 “The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (dad who had a young son with an evil spirit in him)
During Hard Times – Psalm 4:1 “Answer me when I call to you, O God who declares me innocent. Free me from my troubles. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.”
Praying for Boldness – Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Praying for God’s Guidance & Direction – 1 Chronicles 16:11 “Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.”
Praying for Family & Friends – Colossians 1:10 - “Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.”
God wants to hear from us. May God glorify His name in our lives as we come to Him often in prayer.
Posted in Ken Alvis
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