Pray the Word

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Have you ever felt at a loss as to how or what to pray? Do the words not come to mind? Years ago, I read Beth Moore's Praying God's Word, in which she encourages us to use Scripture as our words in prayer. The book's aim is to breakdown strongholds in our lives, but really, praying God's Word back to Him is an excellent idea no matter the circumstances. So here are some resources and information if you would like to use Scripture in your prayer life.

One great place to start is at His Mercy Is New. Candace has tons of resources for praying God's Word.

How Praying God's Word Can Change You
Ten Benefits to Praying God's Word
12 Months of Praying the Scriptures
Praying the Psalms

Here's a quick look at how I pray through a passage. Recently, I read Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Left Out, Less Than, and Lonely and the author Lysa TerKeurst suggested using Psalm 91 and praying through it as you deal with rejection in your life. So I have been writing out the psalm in sections (in black...See below.) and then personalizing my prayers for each section. This exercise has really helped me work through some of the issues I have been having. Not only am I focusing on Scripture, but I am also using it to pray precisely. It cuts down on me kind of "babbling" to God and gives my prayers so much more meaning. It has been such a precious time with Him, and I have drawn nearer to Him as I pray back and meditate on His words.

Since many of the Psalms were originally prayers, the longest book of the Bible may be a great place to start. Here are a few psalms you can use when you are experiencing certain circumstances in life...

When others rise up against you- Psalm 3
When you are walking through dark times- Psalm 23
When you fear others- Psalm 27
When you need hope- Psalm 42
When you have sinned- Psalm 51
When you hunger for God- Psalm 63
When you need reassurance that His love endures- Psalm 103
When you need help- Psalms 121
When you need to know you are precious- Psalm 139

So grab some index cards or maybe even a journal and write down a few verses to get started. Pray the words back to Him. It will be so worth it!