How To Pray Scripture Back To God
Prayer is a powerful way to connect with God. When we pray scripture back to God, we engage with his very words and invite his promises into our lives. If you’re wondering how to make scripture-based prayer a more vital part of your Christian walk, you’ve come to the right place!
Scripture prayers open our eyes to God’s truth and grace while strengthening our faith. Let’s explore simple, meaningful ways to pray scripture so you can enrich your prayer life.
Understanding Scripture Prayer
Defining Scripture Prayer
Scripture prayer is the practice of praying God’s Word back to Him. It involves choosing Bible passages that relate to our circumstances or desires and turning those scriptures into prayer. For example, someone struggling with anxiety may pray Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
By praying scripture, we engage with the living Word of God in a powerful way. We align our will with His and boldly agree with what He has already said in His Word. Scripture prayer helps us focus on God’s truth rather than being consumed by our circumstances.
Benefits of Praying Scripture
It reminds us of God’s promises – As we pray His Word back to Him, we are reminded of His faithfulness to fulfill what He has spoken (Isaiah 55:11). This builds our faith and helps anchor our prayers on His unchanging character.It sets our minds on truth – Praying scripture renews our minds and washes away wrong thinking patterns, doubts, fears and lies we have believed as Romans 12:2 states. We begin to see situations through the lens of His Word.It aligns our will with God’s – As we pray the Bible, we discover what is on God’s heart. Our desires shift from self-centeredness to what matters to Him. We gain kingdom perspectives over troubling issues.It unleashes God’s power – There is power in God’s eternal Word (Hebrews 4:12). As we pray scriptures in faith, we allow that power to prevail in our lives. We stop grappling in our own inferior strength.It gives us an effective prayer strategy – Many believers struggle with what exactly to pray about. Praying the Bible gives us Spirit-inspired content and wisdom to pray accurately over needs in our lives and the world.
Finding Relevant Scriptures for Prayer
Praying Through Specific Bible Stories
One great way to pray scripture back to God is to focus on key stories in the Bible that relate to your current situation. For example, if you are struggling with fear and anxiety, you could pray through the story of Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41).
Read through the story, imagine yourself in the boat with the disciples as the winds rage around you. Then cry out to Jesus like the disciples did, “Lord, save me!” As you do, meditate on Jesus’ power and willingness to calm your personal storms too.
Praying scripture this way allows biblical truths to penetrate deeply into our hearts.
Using Topical Scripture Compilations
Another helpful resource for praying scripture is a topical compilation of Bible verses. Many study Bibles and Christian books offer passages organized by topic, such as faith, healing, forgiveness etc.
You can use these to guide your prayers by reading a passage and turning it into a personal petition. For example, Philippians 4:6-7 says to present your requests to God with thanksgiving and his peace will guard your heart.
You could pray something like “Lord, I present my requests to you today with a thankful heart, believing by faith that your supernatural peace will guard my anxious heart and mind.” Praying topical scriptures helps direct your prayers to specific areas of need.
Searching for Individual Verses
With digital Bible apps and online tools, it’s easy to search for individual verses on prayer topics. Using a keyword search allows you to find personalized scriptures to fuel your prayers. For example, you might search for verses on “waiting on the Lord” if you need patience in a certain situation.
As you read passages on waiting such as Lamentations 3:25 (“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him”), turn them into a prayer like “Lord, I know that you are good to those who wait on you.
Give me the grace I need to wait patiently and seek you wholeheartedly as I wait.” Letting scripture guide your personalized prayers helps increase your trust and reliance on God’s word.
Methods for Praying Scripture
Praying Word-for-Word
One of the most straightforward ways to pray Scripture is to pray it word-for-word. This involves reading a passage of Scripture, often a psalm, line by line and turning each line into a prayer (Ruegsegger, 2021). For example, Psalm 23 could be prayed:
“Lord, you are my shepherd, I lack nothing. You make me lie down in green pastures, you lead me beside quiet waters, you refresh my soul. You guide me along the right paths for your name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
This allows Scripture to become deeply personal and for God’s words to become our words back to Him. It engages the mind and heart in prayer. It can be done privately or corporately.
Paraphrasing Scripture
Another form of praying Scripture is to paraphrase it. This involves reading a passage of Scripture and rewording it into a prayer using your own words. The aim is to capture the essence of the passage rather than praying it verbatim (Smith, 2022).
For example, Colossians 1:9-12 could inspire a prayer like:
“Heavenly Father, I ask that you would fill me with the knowledge of your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. I pray that my walk would be worthy of you, Lord, fully pleasing to you, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of you.
I pray that you would strengthen me with all power by the might of your Spirit in my inner being. Grant me endurance and patience. Make me joyful and thankful as I give you thanks for qualifying me to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”
Paraphrasing focuses the mind on the meaning of the text. It allows us to use our own voice and words to speak back to God what His word says. This can aid memorization.
Using Scripture to Guide Requests
We can also use Scripture to guide our personal prayer requests. As we read the Bible, certain verses or passages may come to mind that apply to a situation or need in our lives. We can then turn these verses into prayer, asking God to act as He has promised in His word (Colbert, 2019).
For instance, someone struggling with fear and anxiety could pray:
“Lord, your word says in Isaiah 41:10 – ‘Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’ I pray that you would help me to trust this promise. I need your peace that passes all understanding.
Please guard my mind from fearful thoughts and fill me with your courage and confidence in you.”
This way Scripture shapes our praying. We learn to pray Biblically rather than relying solely on our own ideas. God also acts according to His word when we pray it back to Him in faith.
Incorporating Meditation and Listening
Meditation and listening are key components when praying Scripture back to God. Here are some tips for incorporating these practices:
Prepare your heart
Before diving into God’s Word, take a few minutes to quiet your mind and heart. Take some deep breaths, releasing any stress or distraction. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to hear from Him.
Select a passage
Choose a short passage of Scripture to pray and reflect on. For beginners, start with 3-5 verses. Some great books to use are the Psalms, the Gospels, and Romans.
Read and meditate
Slowly read through the passage a few times. As you read, mull over the words and phrases that stand out to you. Ask yourself: What is God trying to say to me through this passage? How does it apply to my life right now?
Pray it back
Pray through the passage phrase-by-phrase and verse-by-verse. For example, “Lord, your Word says ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Deuteronomy 31:6). Thank you for always being with me. Help me to remember your presence today.”
Listen to God
After praying through the passage, sit quietly before God. Listen for His still, small voice in your mind and heart. He may speak words of encouragement, revelation, or conviction. Or He may simply impart peace, joy, or renewed faith.
Write down insights
Keep a prayer journal to record the passages you pray and the insights God gives you. Writing down key thoughts cements God’s Word in your heart and mind.
Some helpful tips
- Set aside regular time to pray Scripture – try starting your day this way
- Use online commentaries for deeper insight into passages
- Vary your Scripture reading – psalms, gospels, epistles, Old Testament
- Fast from other distractions to focus your heart and mind
- Listen to worship music while you pray to usher in God’s presence
Praying Scripture enables us to encounter God and pray His very words back to Him. As we meditate, listen, and reflect, His Word transforms our hearts and minds to align more with Christ.
Making Scripture Prayer a Habit
Scheduling Regular Times
Setting aside regular times for scripture prayer is key to making it a consistent habit. Many devote the start of their day to bible reading and prayer. Morning quiet times help focus the mind and spirit for the tasks ahead (1). Others prefer ending the day reflecting on scripture.
Whenever works best, identify a usual timeslot and guard that spot diligently. Don’t let other priorities impinge on precious prayer time.
It also helps to designate a particular place for your prayer habit. Over time, merely entering that space can trigger a prayerful mood and mindset. Many enjoy an outdoor spot in nature, feeling closer connection to God’s beauty and creation.
Some prefer a private room at home or a corner of their bedroom. If possible, make your prayer space visually inspiring yet free from distractions.
Journaling Prayers
Recording prayers, thoughts, and reflections in a prayer journal adds accountability and motivation. Plus, it documents answered prayers and spiritual growth in writing to reread for encouragement later. Journaling transforms fleeting moments of inspiration into concrete resources for reflection.
Author Stormie Omartian recommends, “regular journaling will keep you intimately connected to God” (2). Each heartfelt journal entry is love letter between you and God.
Keep a journal strictly for spiritual entries rather than mingling it with day-to-day scheduling. Using a lovely notebook dedicated to prayer makes time spent communing with God through writing feel extra special.
Date all entries so you can track patterns and look back on what God was teaching you during meaningful seasons of life. Let scriptures guide journal reflections or simply dialogue with God about pressing matters on your heart.
Committing Verses to Memory
Scripture memorization powerfully transforms prayer life. Bible verses tucked away in memory bank readily come to mind when needed for encouragement, guidance or worship. As author Kay Arthur explains, “as you memorize God’s Word, you weave biblical truth into the very fabric of your mind” (3).
She calls memorized verses “weapons” against spiritual attack.
A classic memorization method uses index cards with a verse on one side and reference on the back. Quiz yourself repeatedly, then practice recalling verses with eyes closed once mastered. Alternatively, play recordings of scriptures aloud while working on tasks or commuting until their truths sink in deep.
Apps like Bible.com make verse memorization interactive and fun with spaced repetition flashcards and games.
Conclusion
Scripture-based prayer allows us to pray powerfully within God’s will. Immersing our petitions in God’s Word opens our eyes, builds faith, and transforms how we view our circumstances. Start small by praying a verse a day, then grow your scripture prayer life through Bible reading plans and verse memorization.
When you regularly pray God’s Word back to him, you’ll enrich your prayer life and draw closer to your heavenly Father.
