Praying Scripture: A Strategy

If you haven’t caught on by now, I feel very passionate about prayer. My current quest is to dive into scripture in a much deeper way than I have ever done before. Something that doesn’t quite come naturally to me and is a bit intimidating.

Prayer, on the other hand, is in my comfort zone. I LOVE being in prayer. I get super passionate and motivated when someone asks me to pray for them because I know how powerful it is.  I will gladly intercede for you. I can do that! I think part if this stems from being raised catholic. Although I do not practice Catholicism anymore, I hold a special place in my heart for the faith because it taught me how to pray at a very early age. I would challenge you to find a friend who practices Catholicism and ask them to pray with you. There is a discipline and fervency that is attached to it and it is something I have carried with me throughout my life.

That being said, God knew that he could draw my passion for prayer to his word by giving me a strategy to turn his word into a prayer. Stay with me because I know there are a lot of blog posts and articles put out about praying scripture. These, my friends, are four things I now use to turn scripture into prayer. I’m sharing them with the hope that this gives someone the encouragement they need to start praying or dive into Gods word.

First and Foremost, this strategy is for anyone who wants their scripture life and prayer life to be one. It helps put your prayers into words when you don’t necessarily have the words to pray.

Now, I will say, there are chapters, and books (I’m looking at you 1 chronicles) that don’t really align with this and applying this strategy to a lineage chapter may be difficult. I can tell you that whenever I read those, I pray into my own bloodline and the lives of my children because as of now, that’s all I got.  ha!

Anyway here we go:

1. The first thing you need to do is find a scripture. A chapter, a few verses, whatever floats your prayer boat. Got it? Hopefully, it wasn’t from 1 chronicles… fingers crossed! 
2. Find Gods characteristics and truths in the chapter or verse. What are you learning about God? Is he speaking to someone? Great, we serve a God who speaks to us! Is he revealing himself as just, comforter, healer, etc.? Great, we serve a just, comforting, healing God. You get the picture right? great! Start writing your prayer with praise for the truths you just read about and thank him for the characteristics of him that he so freely shows to you. BAM. You should already have a prayer that has started with praise and thankfulness based on the scripture you just read.
3. Next find the human behavior or earthly characteristics. This could be someone from the bible acting in wisdom, strength, humility. It could also be someone acting out in selfishness, pride, foolishness, etc. It could be idolatry, sacrifice, anything that we as a people are doing in that chapter or verse. Once you find those you continue your prayer. You first repent for any of those characteristics you have or have not shown to the Body of Christ. This will depend if the characteristics you pulled either align with God or not. After asking for forgiveness you bring those characteristics and you pray them over your own life or the life of the person you are praying for. You ask God to clothe you with those characteristics or strip them away depending on the nature of them.
4. Use the same words that are used in scripture in your prayer. So if one of your thankfuls is one of God not forsaking you, use forsaken in your prayers. It keeps it as close as possible with scripture. Try saying your prayers out loud with different tones. Being louder and bold when you speak the truths about God. I love doing this because I call it “Clearing the room” When I’m in prayer there is no space for anything other than Jesus in the room. ha!  I then get a bit softer when I’m asking him for things in my life or the life of others. 

All that said I wouldn’t leave you without an example.

Below is a scripture that I turned into a prayer recently: This prayer is based on Isaiah 51:1-3

Father, you are a righteous God. Thank You Lord for creating me and being my rock throughout my life. You are a mighty and powerful God who is my comforter. Thank you for taking the deserts in my life and making them a garden for you. Father, forgive me for not finding Joy in you. Forgive me for not taking comfort in you. I pray that I recognize you as the source of my joy, the source of my garden. I pray that I run to your comfort in the midst of a desert. Thank you Lord for your word and the wisdom you shed into my life. Amen. 

That’s three verses y’all. JUST THREE. Imagine how intense your prayer life will be after a chapter, or two, or four?!

I will forever speak my “freestyle” prayers and not all my prayers will be these. However, I have found after writing and praying ones based on scripture, my “freestyle” prayers are more powerful, more bold, more fierce. Maybe yours will be too.

Sooooo, if this speaks to you and you try it, I’d love to hear from you on how it worked for you! If you don’t mind sharing your personal prayers that are created using this strategy, please send them my way.

Lastly, if you’d like me to pray for you, with you, please reach out. I would seriously LOVE to be in prayer with you or for you!