Prayer ~ Part 2

One of the most powerful things we can do in our prayer lives is to implement Bible verses within our prayers. God’s Word is powerful and alive. As it says in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” And it says in Isaiah 55:11, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” When we pray with Scripture, we are standing in agreement with God. We are aligning our hearts with His. In today’s post, I would like to walk through some examples that you can use in different situations.

1 – When facing something you don’t understand

Romans 8:28 is one of the most beautiful promises in the Bible. It tells us that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. We will face many things in life that we do not understand. We might be quick to ask God, “Why?” But it would do us good to remember this verse and include it in prayer. We might pray something like this: Dear Heavenly Father, I don’t understand why this had to happen in my life. I admit it is painful to deal with. But I hand it over to You and remember that You knew this would happen. I trust what it says in Your Word, God. I believe that You work all things together for the good of those who love You. Thank You, Lord. I trust You and I hand this situation over to You.

2 – When worrying about the future

In Philippians 4:19, the apostle Paul is reminding the church of Philippi that God will supply their needs. It can be easy to worry about the things to come in our lives. Especially with the way the world has been in a state of chaos over the last year. This makes us worry even more about the unknowns that lie ahead. When these fearful moments hit, we can add the words from this verse into our prayers. We might pray something like: Dear God, I confess that thinking about the future brings on anxious thoughts. I don’t know what lies ahead, but You know. So I put my worries into Your hands. I know You will be there for me. And I know that You will supply all my needs from Your glorious riches. I trust You, God. Thank You for your endless love and care.

3 – When seeking the Lord’s protection

Psalm 91 is one of my favorite Psalms to pray for God’s protection. In fact, I try to remember to recite this daily over myself and my household. You can do this too by inserting your name and/or names of loved ones in place of the appropriate pronouns. For example, verse 2 says, “This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” You can insert the person’s name in this way: “This Bridget declares about the Lord: He alone is Bridget’s refuge, Bridget’s place of safety; he is Bridget’s God, and Bridget trusts him.” Now try it with your name or the name of a particular loved one that needs protection: “This _____ declares about the Lord: He alone is _____’s refuge, _____’s place of safety; he is _____’s God, and _____ trusts him.”

These are just a few examples of how you can implement Scripture into your prayers. If you are facing a particular concern, try to find verses that talk about that issue. If your Bible has a concordance, you may use it to find pertinent verses. Or you can also search the internet for verses that deal with the topic you need. For example, if you are in need of healing, you can search for “Bible verses about healing.” One excellent website that I love to use is openbible.info. They have lists of Bible verses related to hundreds of topics.

The Bible is such a powerful weapon that the Lord has given us. Once you add God’s Word into your prayers, you will walk away from your prayer time feeling more at peace. You will be reminded of God’s promises and His goodness. And you will feel confidence, knowing that Almighty God is by your side.

© 2021 Bridget A. Thomas