Pray The Scriptures

Reminder On Prayer

Hey everyone! Before we jump in to this video just a couple of quick reminders

If you haven’t seen our previous video I would encourage you to check that out before this one as this video is sort of a continuation of the last one

A reminder on our definition of prayer as we move in to this video

Prayer is active communication with God

It is not just thinking to yourself, or strategizing , remember, active communication with God

Recap

So I want to quick recap our previous prayer topic as we move into this one.

Previously, we talked about the importance of actually communicated with God on the way you are feeling and what you are thinking

And we looked at a few verses in Lamentations where they author is giving this really raw prayer to God on what he is feeling

And then we talked about whether praying in this way encourages people to doubt or walk away from God

I want to pair this previous method with this one we are into today.

The What

Let’s talk about what praying the Scriptures is

It might seem self explanatory but there is a lot of misconceptions about this and how it is applied.

So essentially, praying the Scriptures is just what it sounds like, it is taking passages of Scripture and praying those exact words to God

And this is something the authors of Scripture themselves did frequently in prayers and communication with God.

They would frequently pray back the Words of God....to God…

Before we talk about why, I want to talk about what this isn’t

Praying the Scriptures back to God is not some magic Jesus pill.

Praying the Scriptures to God or declaring the Scriptures over a situation is not a magic situation changer, but rather a way to in faith, with Hope balance the “can do” and “will do” of God

In order to explain it will be easiest with an example

The book of Daniel gives us one of the clearest examples of this balance of the “can do” and “will do” of God.

There is an instance in the book of Daniel where 3 of the Israelites (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) are told to bow before a golden statue of the King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon who just took the people of God into slavery.

The 3 refuse to bow and are then taken and threatened that if they do not bow, they will be thrown into a furnace raging with fire.

It is the 3’s response to this moment that I think speaks to the “can do” and “will do” of God when praying the Scriptures.

Daniel 3:16-18

Daniel 3:16–18 CSB

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

Notice what they say!

If our God exists then He can! But if He does not…

This is the “can do” / “will do” expectation

I cannot stress the importance of the what Praying the Scriptures actually is and is not.

Yes I do believe God can do the miraculous and that often the miraculous comes after we have prayed because as James says, we do have have because we do not ask.

That however, does not mean simply because I pray for healing, or deliverance from a situation that I will receive it....

If that were the case, that would create an issue Scripturally with those who did in fact ask and did not receive.

For instance (last example here before we move on) Hebrews 11 describes what is referred to now as the Hall of Faith.

These are people who were faithful to God in the midst of whatever situation and time they were in as a way to encourage other believers to keep on in the faith.

At the end of the hall of Faith in Hebrews 11:32-35a we read of those who shut lions mouths, conquered kingdoms, and even received their dead back to life!

How can this not be the evidence that if we pray we will just receive? How is the not evidence that if I pray healing over my life that I won’t receive exactly as I prayed?

Well we must read on in that passage...

Where Hebrews 11:32-35 describes these awesome works of these men and women of faith....Hebrews 11:35-38 describes other awesome works of faith....

Namely, Enduring suffering.

Sicknesses, beatings, torture and mistreatments. Did they just not pray correctly or…?

No the author comments saying exactly why this happened

Hebrews 11:39-40

Hebrews 11:39–40 CSB

All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

The endured, inspite of their prayers for relief, so that they and us might be taught and reminded, that their is something greater waiting for us and it is not in this world and life.

The Why

So why then? Why do we pray the Scriptures if what we pray and ask for…might not happen

Well for one, for the very reason we just read, that we might be reminded of the promises of God and where they find their ultimate fulfillment - hint: its not in this life alone.

Next, I think we pray the Scriptures so that we might be conformed to them - so that we might align ourselves with God and His plans.

This is why in the Lord’s Prayer is says that we pray “Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done”

We are praying that God might do His work in our lives and that in the processes we might look more like Him.

Lastly, to bring this full circle with last video, we pray the Scriptures so that in our hurting, we might learn the goodness of God, that can pull us from the darkest places

Last video, we looked at a few verses in Lamentations where the author lays out these heavy thoughts about where he is at and how he is feeling about God

But I want us to notice the thing that pulls him from that dark place

Lamentations 3:22-26

Lamentations 3:22–26 CSB

Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the person who seeks him. It is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.

There when the author says “the LORD is my portion....” He is referencing and quoting from multiple passage of Scripture

He is praying the Scriptures back to God right after praying His heart!!!

So pray your heart, but then don’t stop there. Reflect on the Scriptures and pray those too! And as you do, remember the “Can do” / “will do” expectation and remember, the fulfillment ultimately of God’s promises comes not in this life…but when He comes again to make all things new.

We have one more video in this series so hope to see you next week as we finish out this online series to help get you offline.