A Prayer To Take Up The Sword Of The Spirit
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God .
Lord, I take the word of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Your word helps me know who you are, become aware of my sin, and to know your truth. I will use your word to fight against my enemies. Let your word be a lamp to my feet and allow it to purify my thoughts and intentions. I will read, learn, and live out what your word says so that I can share the Gospel and help others find their salvation in you.
Should I Pray Alone Or With Others
God wants us to pray together with other believers:
Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and , and with his brothers.
God also wants us to pray alone and in secret:
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Using Scripture When You Don’t Know What To Pray
Prayer is foundational to the work of Bible translation. Weve seen lives changed, hearts transformed and entire communities impacted as a result of people praying specifically that God would make himself known among the nations! Prayer is powerful, and it is one way God has invited us to join him in his work.
But how can we pray when we dont know what to pray, or rather, what new things to pray for? Our prayer life can feel monotonous if were praying the same things over and over again. And thats often the case when praying for a people group waiting for the Bible in their own language. Updates can be infrequent and we dont know what new things to ask God for.
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A Prayer To Pray Before You Start Reading Your Bible
- Meg BucherWriter and Author
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Jesus set a simple yet powerful example regarding the importance of prayer. It came first. He valued His conversation with the Father, and taught us to pray in every situation. Before we study Gods Word, its especially important to pause and pray. Praying before our quiet times helps us in so many ways:
Prayer clears our minds so we are able to focus on reading Gods Word.
Prayer prepares our hearts to receive Gods Word.
Prayer causes us to crave Gods Word.
Prayer motivates us to apply Gods Word.
Prayer helps us understand and remember what we study in Gods Word.
If youre not sure what to pray before you begin studying the Bible, here is a prayer to help guide and prepare your heart and mind for your time in the Word:
Bible Verses About Talking To God And Hearing From God
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people .
You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows .
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours .
I call on you, my God, for you will answer me turn your ear to me and hear my prayer .
He will respond to the prayer of the destitute he will not despise their plea .
Then you will come and pray to me, and I will listen .
Prayer is a gift. We no longer have to go through religious motions to have an audience with the One True God. Jesus obedience to Gods will in dying on the cross forever cemented our opportunity to have a personal relationship with God through the acceptance of Him. Perhaps, you wish to know more about who He is and want to experience prayerful conversation with God through His creation, His miracles, and His Word. or pray the following:
If you prayed that prayer for the first time today, please reach out to us in the comments below or via email/social media. Contact a local pastor, church, or community of believers. If you need help getting connected, reach out to us. God Bless You.
Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/BrianAJackson
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Be Sure That You Understand The Context Of The Scripture Youll Be Praying
This is the most important step. If we dont understand the context of what were reading, we can end up praying something that has less to do with what the Bible says and more to do with our own desires. Before you choose a passage of scripture to pray, first ask yourself what it says, what it means, and what the Holy Spirit wants you to take away from it. If you need more help doing this, read my article covering questions to ask yourself as you study the Bible.
Lets look at Philippians 4:6-7 as an example:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 ESV
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The Apostle Paul wrote Philippians from prison. Yet, the letter is all about joy, perseverance, faith, and thanksgiving. Paul teaches us that our circumstances do not have to dictate our outlook on life. Trials are inevitable but we can still cling to the joy of the Lord when trials come.
Here in these verses, Paul tells the Philippians that they should not be anxious about anything at all. Instead, they should turn everything over to God in prayer and supplication and with thanksgiving. We are promised that Gods peace will guard our hearts and minds when we choose to lay down anxiety and worry in prayer.
Praying The Word Of God Back To Him
You can also pray the Bible in your everyday reading of Scripture. When you come across a verse that speaks to your heart- whether its a struggle you are dealing with, a remembrance of how He worked in your life, or a truth that you want to imprint on your heart- stop and speak to Him about it.
Heres an example:
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 NLT.
This verse spoke to me as I started my blog. It leads me to pray for His guidance and direction and I love the praise at the end, which many times leads to more praise before I move on.
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Prayer Is Enhanced When Practiced Corporately
Since Christ tells believers to go into their room, some have thought that this forbids corporate prayer. This is not true. Christ commonly prayed with others and even asked others to pray with him. When Christ went to pray, right before going to the cross, he brought three disciples to pray with him . He did the same at his transfiguration . In fact, the Lords Prayer, which he teaches right after this text, is in the plural: our Father, our trespasses, our daily bread, and deliver us from evil . Though Christ emphasizes individual prayer in this passage, he soon focuses on our need to pray corporately afterward. We must do both. Corporate prayer enhances our prayer life, and Scripture says it is especially powerful. Matthew 18:19-20 says: Again, I tell you the truth, if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.
For this reason, we should commonly share our problems, concerns, and ambitions with others, so they can pray in agreement with us. When we dont do this, we spiritually impoverish ourselves. Its like the eye saying to the hand, I dont need you. We need the prayers of the body of Christ. When others agree with us in prayer, our prayers are more powerful.
When And Where Do I Pray
Anytime and anywhere can work, but its good to find a distraction-free time and place if possible. God deserves your focused attention, and you might find it harder to listen to Him in a busy place.
Some people create a space in their homes for this purpose, like a prayer closet. Others will choose a favorite park to take time out with God, or even a coffee shop.
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What Is The Right Way To Pray
I have confidence when Im praying when I know that Im praying according to his will. And how do I know if Im praying according to his will? The answer is when my prayers, beloved ones, listen now, are lining up with Scripture.
The Bible tells us in the Book of 1 John, chapter 5, verse 14, these words: This is the confidence we have before Him, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. This really is a word that all Christians should have at heart
First John, 5:14: This is the confidence we have before Him, if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. So whenever Im praying, Im always monitoring my heart and my prayers to make sure that theyre aligning with the truth.
And how do I know the truth? The Bible tells me. A lot of times people will come and ask me to pray for them about things.
In many cases, I find that other people are asked to pray, they just pray with words that will make the person that has asked them for prayer feel good.
But, those types of players dont always move the heart of God. If somebody thats not living for God, thats living in outright rebellion, that has not in any way brought themselves under the subjection of Jesus Christ comes up to you and asks you to pray for them, you should first analyze them.
So I say, okay Lord, this person thats in front of me asking me for prayer, they may not be living for you fully yet, but youre such a good God that you can bless anybody.
Pray With Other People
Listening to someone else talk with God can help you focus on Him.
Think of someone you know who talks about Gods tangible presence in their life. Ask if you can pray together. While time alone with God is vital to our spiritual growth, God Himself tells us that when two or more gather to focus on Him, something special happens .
If you are praying in public or with another person, remember to talk to God and not them. Its easy to fall into the trap of saying what you think another Christian wants to hear rather than what you need to communicate to God.
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Powerful Prayers For Healing In The Bible
Gratefully, God is still in the business of healing and doing the miraculous.
I have a family member who has been battling cancer for nearly ten years. Weve been praying fervently and consistently for her since the original diagnosis. She recently, after ten years, received her first positive report from her medical team. God is awesome!
2 Kings 20:5-6 Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears surely I will heal you. On the third day, you shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.
James 5:16 Confess to one another, therefore, your faults and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored . The earnest prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available .
Matthew 8:2-3 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. I am willing, he said. Be clean! Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
Psalm 30:2 Lord my God, I called to You for help, and You healed me.
A Final Word About Praying Scripture
I love praying scripture as I read it each morning. If Im reading a passage that stands out, I might stop and pray it. You can choose to keep a designated list of passages to pray regularly or you can pray as you read each day. Be flexible about it and use it as a tool to help you draw closer to God. You dont have to worry about doing it perfectly, just get started!
I hope this helped introduce you to the wonderful world of praying scripture. Gods word is so powerful! If you feel stuck in prayer or youre just looking for new ways to pray, consider picking up your Bible and praying directly from the words you read.
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Right Way To Pray Effectively
Through this we can learn how to pray in such a way thatmatters, deep calling to deep not praying about superficial things. You know,there was a song years ago, it was kind of a comical song, but kind ofsacrilegious.
It was about this guy that was praying for the Lord to buyhim a car, the song went something like this. Oh Lord, wont you buy me aMercedes Benz. My friends all have Porsches. lets stop there since I dontwant to take away from our point here.
Some people are praying for things that dont move God. Some people are praying for things that are not the things that Gods concerned about.
So we want to study the prayer life of people that had a deep walk with God. Because by doing this, it will help us to learn how to pray in such a way that we can move Gods heart.
First John, 5:14, again says this: This is the confidence we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And knowing beloved ones, that he hears us we also have confidence that he will grant those requests
We looked last week at Psalm number 51, and were going to continue in Psalm number 51 today. Psalm 51 was written by David.
Now the Bible tells us in Acts, 13, that David was a man who was after Gods own heart. God said in the Book of Samuel concerning David, that David was a man after his own heart.
I mean, hes just a shepherd boy. What do you see in him? And remember what God said to Samuel? God said, a man looks on the outside but God looks on the heart.
How To Pray To God Correctly
- Christians
- How to Pray to God Correctly
The right way to pray correctly is to start by praising God. Then ask Him to forgive your sins for the bible says that the prayers of a sinner are like noise before God. You can then proceed to pray for others and ask for what you want before you conclude with a thanksgiving.
Every Christian should seek the answer for how to pray to God correctly and effectively. Sometimes you may be praying but the question is, are you praying in the right way?
Prayers are the only best way to seek Gods help in everything we need. It is the path to talk to God. Just like there is a way to talk to a toddler, a child, people who are older than you, there is also the right way to talk to God.
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Praying While Abiding In The Vine
Suppose you are a Father and it happens that you only see your children when they need something from you and whenever they receive what they need they disappear immediately from you. We should not just be praying to God the moment we need Him to attend to our needs. Our Heavenly Father is seeking to have a relationship with us. We need to abide by Him in all the days of our Christian lives. The beauty of abiding in Him is that we will grow in the knowledge of Him, we will understand Him better just as the Children understand their father and therefore, we will know what to ask, how to ask and when to ask.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. .