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.

God Our Defender

The attribute of God for my MITI prayer time this week is "defender." The filled-in prayer sheet gives the definition as "One who protects from danger, attack or harm; guards; shields."

The scriptures seem to reveal something more than One who protects us from getting hurt. Deuteronomy 10:17-18, states that God "defends the cause of the fatherless." This led me to consider "defender" as a defense attorney. 

We are citizens of a different kingdom. We should not expect this world to abide by God's system of justice - at least not yet. Therefore, our prayers are pleaded in a courtroom foreign to this world. 

Sometimes it doesn't feel like God is defending us in this world. But there is a more majestic courtroom where He defends our cause to the end of this age. 

Praise Him! His defense is not now, nor will it ever be, overruled. 

Live decent lives among unbelievers. Then, although they ridicule you as if you were doing wrong while they are watching you do good things, they will praise God on the day he comes to help you. 1 Peter 2:12 (God's Word)

Intercession - what matters to God

"Intercession means to mediate or negotiate for something; to intervene in prayer to God on behalf of another person or situation. We can't intercede properly without praying to know the heart of God in a matter." (Alice Smith), Giving Ourselves to Prayer, Terre Haute, IN: Prayer Shop Publishing, 2008)

My husband is great with researching information before we go out to buy a car. He can find out via the internet about what a dealer paid for a used car and therefore know what the dealer needs to profit in a deal before we negotiate to purchase.

The great thing about negotiating with God is that He wants us to know what He has in every deal. He will tell us exactly what we need to know if we ask and wait for his response. 

A benefit of praying with others is that sometimes we can get too caught up in what we think we want God to do. (Like demanding a dealer come down to our price without any thought about his need to profit from the deal.) Praying with others allows us to receive meaningful words from God that are sometimes difficult to hear directly because they don't fit our perspective of what we think should happen.

During the intercession time for specific requests for your children and their school - including praying for teachers, staff, and students - try just speaking the name and ask God how he wants you to pray for that person or circumstance. Patiently listen, then pray according to what you hear from God and from each other.

Prayer and God's Response

"Prayer is usually presented as a procurement process or a problem-solving method that mysteriously 'works,' but only part of the time. We have somehow thought that we could motivate people to pray by convincing them that prayer works. But by that same logic, if it doesn't work, we should stop praying." (Steve Hawthorne, Giving Ourselves to Prayer, Terre Haute, IN: Prayer Shop Publishing, 2008)

I am guilty of promoting prayer as a way to fix problems. It is an easier conversation than trying to personalize God to someone who may not know Him personally. But in my heart, I don't see fixing problems as the most amazing part of prayer. Nor is it the most persuasive reason to motivate someone to pray unless they are in a crisis that needs fixed. Then we face the risk of presenting requests in prayer as the solution instead of seeking God for guidance.

By starting our group prayer time with Praise and Confession we are emphasizing the relationship between God the Creator and His created. These segments are not merely elements of a formula. When we approach prayer as an intimate conversation with God, these elements draw us into the relationship God so desires. This relationship is able to exist because the Father invites us to talk with Him through prayer.

The next time you meet for your MITI prayer hour, slow down and think about the reality of the Creator hearing His created speak to Him. Not only does He listen, He desires to respond to us, to talk personally, to instruct, and to encourage us - His created. That is amazing!

"At the last, we will not say, 'Look at all the amazing answers to prayer we were able to make happen.' We will say, 'He has fulfilled everything He has promised.'" (Steve Hawthorne, Giving Ourselves to Prayer, Terre Haute, IN: Prayer Shop Publishing, 2008)

Purpose of Prayer

"Really the whole purpose of prayer is not to get our will done but to get God's will done." (Thomas L. Constable, Giving Ourselves to Prayer, Terre Haute, IN: Prayer Shop Publishing, 2008)

Are you amazed when God answers prayer? Are you disappointed when it seems he doesn't answer your prayers?

If we approach prayer with an earnest desire to know God's will, we are more likely to find ourselves leaving the prayer time rejoicing for what he has shown us will be done rather than waiting to see if we are amazed or disappointed.

Good article about MITI

Check it out:
International Mothers’ Prayer Group Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Giving Up Control

Every Moms in Touch group has a designated "leader". But what really is the role of any prayer group leader?

I read a great post on this topic at Pray! magazine's blog titled Appoint a New Prayer Leader. I recommend you take the time to read it while you think about who is in control of your prayer group time.