Praying Scripturally

Hello All! Sarah here. While I’m certainly not the intellectual that Peter is, I do have something to say from time to time. I’m glad that Peter is allowing me to share this blog with him.

God has been doing something amazing among our women lately. You may know that our church is offering the Bible Study Believing God by Beth Moore for the second time this year. I’ve been blown away as I’ve sat through, and helped teach, again. How could I have missed so much the first time?! Wiebke Papenfus came to me after we finished in the spring and wondered about offering it to the ladies of MOPS. Fifteen women from our MOPS group are currently in the same study! We are determined to be women who believe!

I’ve got to say that one of the most important things I have internalized from this study is the practice of praying Scripture. So many times I spit words out and then I wonder if I’m praying in the will of God. But if I pray a specific Scripture over a situation or a person, I can know that I’m praying the powerful words of God. How does this work out specifically? Here are some examples:

• If I know someone is dealing with insecurity issues, I can pray Psalm 90:14 for them: “Satisfy us in our earliest youth with your loving kindness, giving us constant joy to the end of our lives.”
• I pray Jeremiah 1:4-9 for Peter: “The Lord said to me, ‘I knew you before you were formed within your mother’s womb; before you were born I sanctified you and appointed you as my spokesman . . . you will go wherever I send you and speak whatever I tell you to. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I, the Lord, will be with you and see you through.’"
• And for my kids, I like to pray Psalm 101 for them, especially verse 1-2. Here’s how I would personalize it for them: “Lord, help me to teach William and Kate to sing of your loving kindness and your justice. Let them sing your praises! Give them the strength to walk a blameless path (and may I be the example to them—but I need your help), especially in our home, where we all long to act as we should.” What a great reminder that even if no one hears me screaming at my children at the time, my attitude is going to reflect in my kiddos as they are in other situations!

Praying like this takes work and isn’t usually quick or easy, unless we really take time to study Scripture, instilling it in our lives. At Beth’s suggestion, I’ve begun to read my Bible with eyes wide open. When I come to a verse that applies to a person or situation, I write it down on a 3x5 card. I keep a stack of cards in my Bible and read them out loud. What a powerful way to pray! And I don’t need to second-guess if I’m praying within the will of God—because I’m using the words that He has already ordained! Try it and let me know how it works out in your life.

Sarah