Praying Scripture

Why pray scripture?

God’s word always aligns with God’s will (never fails)

Prayer is dependence on God and demonstrates dependence on him

ILLUS: Language learning

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 6

7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.

Context

Middle of Sermon on the Mount

Prelude to Our Father

Pharisaical Judaism

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised 1. Sermon on the Mount

The effectiveness of prayer does not depend on human effort, e.g., on eloquence or length of prayer. The Father’s foreknowledge of human needs, far from discouraging prayer, becomes an incentive for it. Prayer is not informing God of one’s needs but expressing one’s confidence in Him

HIT: Praying, and praying scripture, is easier than you think

Twisting God’s arm? Empty conversation? 1 sided convo?

How to pray scripture

Pick it and pray it

Don’t overcomplicate

ILLUS: Vocabulary in language learning — it is what it is

Praying God’s word is praying God’s best

Main ideas of the text = prayer points

EXAMPLE: At your tables — find the main ideas

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 17

20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. 21 May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you, and they have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”

v. 21-22 — “may they all be one” — UNITY for BELIEF

v. 23 — “that the world might know… love” — for the disciples to know God’s love

v. 24 — “that they will know my glory” — for the disciples to know God’s glory

v. 25 — “that the love… may be in them.” — for the world to know God’s love.

Habitually praying scripture