Reading Scripture and looking at the Word through the eyes of Jesus, helps us to understand His will and His love for us. As you read and affirm (agree with) God’s Word in your life and the lives of those for whom you are praying, you will learn that these words are trustworthy, perfect, right, desirable, and sweeter than honey. They transform our minds and our hearts as we integrate them into our lives. As we come to agree with what He says our faith is increased as we trust His Word and begin to speak it over, not only our lives and circumstances, but the lives of those for whom we pray. Your faith will grow as you trust His Word and speak it over your life and the lives of those for who you are praying. God watches over His Word to see that it’s fulfilled. (Jeremiah 1:12) “So is my word that goes out of my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:1). Learn to see people as God sees them.
Praise God as you pray! He will do the things He has promised in His Word.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires (2 Peter 1:3).
How to Pray Scripture
1. Ask God for the Holy Spirit at the beginning of your scripture prayer session.
2. Read the first verse of the scripture passage to yourself or aloud.
3. Begin to pray, rephrasing the verse in your own words. The key is to use the Scripture as a compass to guide your prayer. Your prayer can be more than just rephrasing the verse. However, the rephrasing of the verse serves as a jump start to get your prayer going and keeps it focused.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have prayed through the entire passage.
Depending on how long your prayer time is, you may want to pray only one passage of scripture or a portion of a passage. If you have two or three people, you can easily spend 15 minutes praying through just 5-6 verses of scripture. If you have more time, you may want to pray through 2 or 3 passages.
Here’s an example:
Prayer Passage: NIV John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Prayer Example: Father God, thank You for giving your son Jesus. Thank You for the promise that all who believe in Him may have eternal life. Father, fill the people who are here tonight with Your Holy Spirit. Move them to belief in Jesus. Fulfill this promise in their hearts and give them eternal life.
Scriptural Prayer Prompts
How to Pray Scripture - A one-page guide of how to pray Scripture by yourself or with a group.
Pray the Word - This collection of Scripture verses will give shape to your prayers and help you pray God's Word back to Him. When we pray God's Word, we can be assured that God will answer our prayers!
Intercessory Prayers of Paul - The apostle Paul cared deeply about the people he had introduced to the Lord and prayed ardently for them. His letters make frequent mention of his prayers and what he prayed for people. Praying Paul's prayers is a rich way to pray for others according to God's will.
Names of God - Discover the many aspects of God's character and use them as prompts for heartfelt praise and prayers.
Intercessory Prayer Bookmarks—These handy bookmarks can help you remember who you are praying for and what you should pray for. Print them out and share them with others.
Scriptures on Forgiveness - God promises to forgive you. Are you choosing to forgive others? Pray these Scriptures and let God work the miracle of forgiveness in your heart.
ACTS Prayer Promises - Bible promises to pray as you move through the ACTS acronym (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication).
Praying for Revival - Scripture and Ellen White quotes to guide your prayers for revival.
John 17 Worksheet and Leaders Guide - Designed for small group prayer and Bible study, this worksheet will help you learn how to pray more effectively from God's Word.