Praying Scripture

"As a person reads the passage he or she should take care to read it slowly while seeking to take its meaning into one's being as though he or she were 'tasting' and 'digesting' the Word of God. The key is not to rush this process." (Larry Ashlock, Giving Ourselves to Prayer, ch.27 "The Use of Scripture in Personal Prayer")

Praying scripture is so much more than quoting text. If we simply quote the scripture in our prayer groups without waiting on God to respond directly and intimately, we have missed the point of praying God's Word.

Ashlock states in Giving Ourselves to Prayer that "'praying scripture' includes a vital attitudinal difference." He goes on to say "this form of prayer requires a willingness to wait patiently for God to speak and to move in the heart."

I would goes as far to suggest that if we leave our MITI prayer hour unchanged by the specific scriptures we have prayed (i.e. don't remember the scripture), then we have not truly encountered God in His Word and therefore, we have not experienced the significance of praying scripture.

Here's a few options for using scriptures in your prayer time more effectively. "Filled-in Prayer Sheets" are available at www.MomsinTouch.org.

1. Use only one Praise scripture each week.  Have one person read the scripture out loud, then wait quietly for God to speak to individuals. Encourage he women to pray only in response to what they sense God has revealed to them in that moment.
   


2. Send all the listed scriptures to the group at least 24 hours before the prayer group meets. Ask them to pray these scripture slowly and intimately in their personal prayer time so that the corporate prayer time will be more of an open reflection on a deeper time spent with God.
   


3. Open your prayer hour with a few minutes of silence for everyone to read all the listed scriptures to themselves. Then encourage individuals to pray the scripture that has spoken most intimately to her back to God.
   


4. Select one scripture and have one person read or allow the women to read it quietly in context before voicing prayers.

Let God's Word be fresh and exciting every time you read it by waiting on Him to speak directly to you in personal prayer and to each person in corporate prayer.