The Importance of Scripture in Prayer

PRAYER TEACHING OUTLINE – WEEK 4

Topic: The Importance of Scripture in Prayer

Vision Reminder: Pour Over Nights are not about hype or performance; they are about cultivating a personal and corporate lifestyle of prayer that goes deeper than the surface.

Check-In from Last Week:

- How did it feel to pray with fewer words?

- Did you notice greater focus or faith when your prayers were simpler?

- Were there any moments when you wanted to repeat yourself but paused instead?

I. SCRIPTURE GUIDES OUR PRAYERS

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Psalm 119:105

NASB95

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

- God’s Word lights the way — even in how we pray.

- Scripture shows us what matters to God, so we know how to pray His will.

- Praying Scripture aligns our hearts with truth, not just emotion.

- When we don’t know what to pray, the Bible gives us the words.

- The Psalms are a model of honest, Spirit-breathed prayer.

II. PRAYING SCRIPTURE INVITES GOD’S PRESENCE

- The Word is alive — when we pray it, it activates our faith.

- Jesus quoted Scripture in prayer and battle (Matt. 4:1–11).

- Praying God’s promises builds confidence:

- We’re not inventing ideas — we’re responding to revelation.

- Scripture is the language of heaven — use it to approach the throne.

III. PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PRAYING SCRIPTURE

- Choose a short passage or verse.

- Read it aloud slowly.

- Turn each line into a prayer in your own words.

- Ask:

- What does this teach me about God?

- What can I praise Him for?

- What does this reveal about me?

- What do I need to ask, confess, or thank Him for?

IV. CLOSING CHARGE

- God speaks first — we respond.

- Don’t just read the Word — pray it back to Him.

- Let Scripture guide your voice until His Word becomes your language.

PRAYER ACTIVITY – Assignment:

- Read through Psalm 91 slowly and prayerfully.

- As you go, turn each line into a personal prayer — responding with praise, trust, and petition.

Psalm 91 NASB95

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” 3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. 5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; 6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. 7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you. 8 You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked. 9 For you have made the Lord, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. 10 No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. 11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. 12 They will bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down. 14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. 15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 “With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation.”

- For this week:

- Begin each day’s prayer with a passage of Scripture.

- Reflect:

- Did Scripture keep your heart more focused?

- Did it draw out a prayer you wouldn’t have thought to pray?