Having regular, ongoing conversations with the Almighty God of the universe is one of the highest privileges of the Christian life. This integral part of our spiritual walk also has some of the most potential for deception.
One extreme is the tendency to be so ritualistic in our prayers that we can lapse into faithless repetitions that Jesus warned us about (Matthew 6:7), without thinking about what we are saying or who we are talking to. This can be a danger if we are used to praying scriptures routinely, such as the Lord’s Prayer.
On the other extreme, there are dangers of embracing unbiblical teachings about prayer, which are infiltrating the church, and subtly shifting into a mystical relationship with “another spirit” without even realizing it (2 Corinthians 11:4).
Praying the scriptures in faith (and in context) can be a powerful way to guard ourselves against deception as we grow in our relationship with the true God.
He is the only one who can transform our hearts and minds to think and make requests in a way that pleases Him. Here are seven potential benefits of praying the scriptures.
1. We Draw Closer in Our Relationship with the True God
Most religious practices include some form of prayer, but the Bible teaches that not all prayer is pleasing to God. Sin has separated humans from God (Romans 3:23) and a relationship with the true God, through His Son Jesus Christ as revealed in the scriptures, is necessary in order for our prayers to be heard and answered (John 9:31, 15:7; Isaiah 59:2).
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he taught his disciples how to pray and how their prayers should be distinguished from others (Matthew 6:5-13). We can learn a lot from reading and praying the prayers of Jesus’ followers recorded in the New Testament under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
As we pray the scriptures, we grow in our knowledge of God and His ways. We don’t know how to pray as we ought (Romans 8:26), but through the scriptures, we grow in our understanding of God’s values and priorities.
His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8), and we can come into alignment with his heart by studying, meditating, and praying the scriptures. Our prayer life is closely tied with our sanctification (James 4:6; Psalm 66:18), which is directly tied to our relationship with the Word (John 17:17).
2. We Learn to Make Requests That Align with His Will
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us (1 John 5:14).
One of the greatest hindrances to prayer is unbelief (James 1:6-8). When we aren’t sure of God’s will on a matter, it can be difficult to pray in faith. When we pray directly from the scriptures, in their proper context, we can have confidence that our prayers are aligned with God’s will.
We also might notice the content of our prayers changing. As we pray scriptures that Paul prayed, for example:
- We will be praying for our knowledge, love, and discernment to increase (Philippians 1:9-11);
- For endurance, patience, and faith in the midst of persecution and affliction (Colossians 1:9-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12);
- We will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord — that we will be fully pleasing to him (Colossians 1:9-14);
- We will bear fruit, and that Jesus will be glorified (John 15:4-8).
There is a caution here that we must also remember — we are in the new covenant and we should avoid praying prayers that were exclusively intended for old covenant believers. For example, it would be inappropriate to petition God to punish our human enemies as some of the imprecatory Psalms did.
Jesus commands us to love our enemies and bless those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44-48; Luke 6:27-38). We also have not been given promises of earthly blessings as some in the Old Testament were. We are asked to give up everything to follow Christ (Luke 14:33).
In the new covenant, we have promises of spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3-14) and we are to seek first Christ’s kingdom (Matthew 6:33), which is not of this world (John 18:36). We should pay close attention to this distinction between the covenants when praying the scriptures.
3. Our Motives Are Purified
Our prayers can be hindered if we are praying with worldly or selfish motives (James 4:3-5). As we grow deeper in our relationship with Christ through a proper understanding of His Word, our thoughts, attitudes, and desires are being transformed to be more like His.
The Word of God has the power to reveal the true intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). Praying the prayers recorded in Scripture, such as those listed above and many others, can help us to learn how to pray with godly motives.
4. We Trim the Spiritual Blather
Apologist and Bible teacher, Greg Koukl, points out that we often use a lot of unnecessary “mumbo jumbo” in our prayers. He observes, “Biblical prayers have content, clarity, and power.”
Using his study of biblical prayers as a guide and citing Daniel 9:3-19 as an example, he encourages people to pray according to the acronym, SIP: Specifically, Intelligibly, and Persuasively.
5. We Remember to Pray with Thanksgiving
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
If we are not renewing our minds in the scriptures, it can be easy to get into a rut in our prayer life, especially during difficult times. Our prayers might begin to revolve around petitioning God to remove the difficult circumstances.
As we pray Scripture, the Lord transforms our minds, and we are reminded that we are to rejoice “always” and to make our requests “with thanksgiving” (Philippians 4:4-6). Giving thanks and offering praise and glory to God during our times of trial can be especially sanctifying,
It takes an act of the will to lay our all on the altar before a God we don’t understand. When we bring a “sacrifice of praise,” we choose to believe that, even though life is not going as we think it should, God is still good and can be trusted (Psalm 135:2; Nahum 1:7). When we choose to praise God in spite of the storms, He is honored, and our faith grows deeper (Malachi 3:13-17; Job 13:15).
Praying through the Psalms can often help shift our focus, especially during difficult times.
6. We Remember to Make Confession
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened (Psalm 66:18, NLT).
When we are regularly immersing ourselves in scripture and even praying specific prayers in Scripture, we will be reminded of the importance of confession.
We may be convicted of pride, unforgiveness, or other specific sins that can hinder our prayers (Mark 11:25; James 4:6). We will find prayers of confession that we can pray for ourselves or on behalf of others such as Psalm 51:1-19 and Daniel 9:4-19.
7. We Remember to Be Vigilant
When our prayers are rooted in and saturated with the truth of God’s Word, we have both the defensive and offensive tools needed for spiritual warfare.
The scriptures arm us with both the belt of truth and the sword of the spirit (Ephesians 6:14,17) so that we can stand against and resist the strategies of the enemy against us (James 4:7-10; 1 Peter 5:8-9).
We see Jesus using Scripture in his victory over the temptations of Satan (Matthew 4:4-10). The scriptures are one of our most powerful weapons against our foe.
Why Does This Matter?
Praying the scriptures can be a wonderful way to pray, but not the only way. We have a very personal God who loves for us to come to Him with all of our thoughts, concerns, praises, and requests.
As mentioned in the introduction, there are worldly philosophies about prayer creeping into the church, and Bible passages are used to support these practices.
We should watch out if our prayers are becoming increasingly self-centered, worldly-focused, or demanding, or if our beliefs are starting to contradict foundational teachings of Scripture.
Studying and praying the scriptures in their proper context can help to protect us from these sinful, unbiblical prayer practices as we seek to watch our lives and doctrine closely (1 Timothy 4:16).
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This article is part of our prayer resources meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
Prayers for Healing
Morning Prayers
Prayers for Family
Prayers for Surgery
Prayers for Strength
Night Prayers Before Bed
Prayers for Protection
The Lord's Prayer: Our Father
