I’ve discovered an easy way to get my family into God’s Word while getting God’s Word into my family. Very simply: I let Scripture set the agenda for our prayers. After all, the most powerful prayer unit in the world is you, praying with your family, in line with the will of God. And there’s no better way to make that happen than to use the Bible itself as the outline.
It’s not just powerful during family prayers. During my years leading a Life Action Summit team, I often called morning prayer meetings—not to discuss aches and pains, ideas, or hopes, but to read and pray the Word of God. Often those moments of prayer, walking through Psalms or Proverbs, would lead to some of the sweetest times of fellowship with the Lord, and toward revival in the hearts of those participating.
This shouldn’t come as any surprise. Psalm 19:7 (ESV) says that the “law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.” Even your personal devotional life can be revived by praying the Bible back to the Lord, turning your communication toward God into a conversation with God.
How do I do it?
The psalms are a wonderful starting place. Since they often deal with my relationship to God, and are phrased as prayers to begin with, they serve as an excellent training ground for biblical prayer. Proverbs, a book of wisdom more concerned about my relationships with others, can become a great prayer guide as well. Once you’ve grown familiar with the process of praying the Bible back to the Lord, you can turn to other passages, too, and watch as both your prayers and Bible readings fill with new significance.
To make this practical, let me suggest that you retrieve your Bible right now so I can walk you through the process. Turn to Psalm 15.
Read this psalm carefully, noting the phrases or verses that stick out as important or relevant to you.
Now, starting with the first verse you noted, pray about the verse to the Lord. For example, perhaps you were struck by the phrase in verse 4, “who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” You might pray,
Lord, I recall some promises I have made that, although painful, I need to keep. Forgive me, Lord, for breaking my commitment to _____. Help me today to make that right, and to become the type of righteous person this psalm addresses. I also think of ______, who is considering divorce and claims to follow You. Please bless her by leading her in the way of righteousness, and give her the courage to stay with her husband.
Next, go back to the text and repeat the process. For example, the final phrase of the chapter might stand out: “He who does these things shall never be moved.”
Father, so many things in this world are unstable, always moving, never steady. I thank You that I can trust in You always, and that if I live a righteous life before You, I have nothing to fear. I pray for my nation, Lord, that You would wake us up to become the type of men and women mentioned in this chapter….
Do you see how God’s Word becomes a prompter for prayer, reminding you of things to adjust in your own life, and even of requests for others?
Look at Proverbs 10:5 for another example. “He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.”
Heavenly Father, I want to be a wise son in Your kingdom. As I seek to demonstrate wisdom with the resources You give me, help me to be a diligent worker and saver. Even more, Lord, I am reminded of Jesus’ statement comparing the lost world to a harvest field. I need courage, Lord, to bring up spiritual things with my friends at work today, to be a laborer for You. I specifically think of ___________ …”
Every time you open the Scriptures to pray, your mind will be filled with real applications and points of obedience. And as you go out to live the truth, you not only know what you should do, you’ve already prayed about it! The Bible will never grow boring, because no matter how many times you review a passage, your prayers will always be dynamic and personal to your daily life.
Praying in this manner with your spouse, children, or friends enriches the experience even more, bringing their insights and meditations to God’s throne to share along with your own.
How much time should you devote to praying the Bible? In group meetings, I’ve found that reading and praying five psalms and one proverb takes about an hour, and allows for a wide variety of prayers. For personal devotion, there is no right or wrong timeframe. You may only have time to consider one psalm or proverb a day. That’s a great start. But as you learn to converse with the Lord, be ready—you’ll probably want more time with Him.
Copyright © 2009 Revive magazine, Vol. 40, #3 “Bible Boredom,” by Life Action Ministries. Tom Nesbitt held a leadership post on a Life Action summit team, and he has served the Lord worldwide as a pastor and counselor. He currently ministers at Cornerstone Church in Ames, Iowa.