Praying Scriptures about God and Our Relationship to Him
Name and short description of Prayer Practice: This prayer practice uses Scriptures and short prayers on 15 note cards that firmly anchor our prayers in the truth of who God is and what our relationship to Him is according to the Bible.
How to do this prayer practice:
1. Copy each of the Bible passages in step 7 onto numbered note cards.
2. Beginning with number one, pray and meditate on the verses. This outline will guide you through Scriptures that include praise for who God is, confession and forgiveness for sins, confidence in the presence of Christ, the assurance of His promises, strength and wisdom and arming ourselves against evil.
3. While I personally used all of the cards every day during the same prayer time for several months, they can be used in any number or order to meet individual needs.
4. Be thankful for your salvation. As you read the cards, let the Scriptures open your eyes to the over-arching theme of God’s plan of salvation for His rebellious creation.
5. Be obedient. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you balance how the wonderful promises of a loving God must be viewed with the obedience of Job as our guide.
6. Do the cards long enough for them to become second nature. By then you will not only know the Scriptures by heart, but you will also have built a strong Biblical outline for your less structured prayer times. Instead of sitting down and immediately asking God for what you need, you will be able to first marvel at who God is according to the Bible and how we are saved and equipped by Him.
7. The Scripture Cards:
( The cited verses are taken from the New International Version, Copyright © 1978 by New York International Bible Society, The Zondervan Corporation, Publisher )
1. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps 118:24 )
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they were created and have their being.” ( Rev 4:11)
My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long. ( Ps 71:8 )
2. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. ( Ps 63:3-4 )
3. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. ( Ps 119:105 )
Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. ( Ps 119:89 )
4. Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. ( Ps 5:1-2 )
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. ( Ps 19:14 )
5. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrightousness. ( 1 Jn 1:9 )
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. ( Heb 4:16 )
6. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.
( Ps 139:23-24 )
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. ( Ps 51:1-3 )
7. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. ( Ps 51:10-12 )
8. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing. ( Ps 23:1 ) And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. ( Phil 4:19 )
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. ( Heb 11:6)
9. This is the assurance that we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him. ( 1 Jn 5:14-15 )
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. ( Ps 37:4 )
10. For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. ( 2 Cor 1:20a )
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ( Phil 4:6-7 )
11. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ( Pr 3:5-6 )
12. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ( Ja 1:5 )
13. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ( Eph 6:11-12 )
14. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. ( Phil 4:13 )
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ( 1 Jn 4:4 )
15. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ( Eph 2:10 )
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ( 2 Cor 10:4-5 )
My personal experiences and tips:
Many years ago I had an opportunity to attend a weekend retreat designed to strengthen Christian faith. Following that experience I began an intensive study of the Scriptures. During this study I was impressed not only with the over-arching theme of God’s plan of salvation for his rebellious creation, but also with the need to view his wonderful promises through the prism of Job’s trust and obedience. I therefore decided to pray Scripture as a means of giving the proper focus to my prayer time. I was able to locate the Scripture verses based upon my personal studies and the use of a good study Bible. Today there are digital Bibles and search engines that make the task easier. The order of the cards was designed to focus first on the majesty of God.
How to fit this prayer idea into your schedule:
This requires setting aside focused, consistent daily prayer time to invest in communicating with God according to our relationship as described in the Bible. However the time will be well worth it as it will build your confidence in God’s strong promises. As a result, you will be able to base your trust in Him on the truth of the Bible instead of on your circumstances or feelings.
The Biblical origins and traditional roots of this method of prayer:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 TImothy 3:16,17 NIV
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” John 15:7 NIV
Copyright James C Gaulden, Jr. 2011