July Discipleship Challenge- Praying Scripture

The Challenge

This month, accept the challenge of Praying Scripture. Praying Scripture is a way of entering deeply into the Bible with a heart alert to a unique and personal word from God. Words and verses that catch our attention become invitations to be with God in prayer. When our prayers seem to be more about maintaining control and offering God our agenda for his stamp of approval, praying Scripture can return us to a simpler state of openness and attentiveness to God. We lay aside our own agendas and open ourselves to the prayers given to us in the Bible.

The Practice: Try One of the Following

The book of Psalms is a wonderfully human prayer book. Here we find prayers that voice our needs, fears, joys, sorrows, anger, loneliness, dryness and joy. The Bible also contains wonderful prayers by people like Jesus, Paul, Daniel, Mary, Moses, and Hannah. Try a few of these practices this month:

(1) Use a Psalm to pray to God. Place your name in the Psalm and change the words slightly to make it relate a little bit more to your own circumstances.

(2) Meditate on a Scripture passage. Reflect on how God reveals Himself in the story. Listen for the Lord in that Bible. Then use what you learned in your prayer.

(3) Read a Gospel story. Listen for the questions Jesus puts to the disciples or teaches the crowds as if they were questions he is putting to you. How would you respond in prayer?

(4) Adopt a Scripture prayer of Daniel, Paul, Mary, Moses, Jabez, or Jesus. Personalize the prayer.

The When and Why

The goal is to allow God to shape our prayer lives through the words of Scripture. Praying Scripture allows God to direct the content of our prayers. It opens the heart to praying particular prayers, psalms, teachings, and hopes found in the Bible. Incorporating Scripture

Prayer into our daily prayer rhythms, quiet times, and Bible study can help us to breathe in God’s love, repent of our sinfulness, find guidance for our lives, and direct us in interceding for our church and loved ones. As found in Psalms 119:30, “The unfolding of your words gives light.”