By Kim Butts

  Years ago, I was taught how to pray the Word of God—and it revolutionized my prayer life. It is the ultimate prayer manual written by God Himself. The Bible always makes His will clear to us through the written Word. Anything the Holy Spirit makes known to us will always be in agreement with God’s revealed Word. Praying the Word sets people free! Wouldn’t you like to pray with complete confidence and assurance that the Lord God Almighty will hear and answer the Kingdom-advancing prayers that are on His heart? Following are some reasons why praying Scripture can empower your prayer life individually and corporately. As you incorporate the Word into your prayers, you will pray with greater boldness and effectiveness because you will be interceding in God’s “good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom. 12:2).   Praying Scripture Is Powerful Because . . .

1. It reveals God’s will for His Kingdom: What is on God’s heart? We need to discover the will of God through His revealed Word and pray it for the sake of His Kingdom! Here are just a few things that are on the heart of God.He wants us to love one another (John 13:34-35).He wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:1-4).He wants us to pray for workers to be sent into His harvest field (Matt. 9:37-38).He wants unity in the Body of Christ (John 17:20-26).
2. Praying the Word gives us confidence and power in our prayers: When you pray Scripture, you can be confident that it is powerful! “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matt. 21:22). It is much easier for me to believe in God’s Word as I pray than to depend solely upon what is in my own heart, which can sometimes be selfish and not focused upon the plans and purposes of God.
3. The Word of God gives us a beautiful, full, rich vocabulary of prayer:  Pray Psalm 145 back to the Lord. As you do, focus all of the words back on Him as a prayer of praise! Then, as you pray through this psalm and others, write down words and phrases that speak of God and His character. Doing so will help you learn ways to describe Him so that your prayers don’t wither from repetition.
4. The Word of God helps us to keep our prayer lives fresh and exciting: “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” (Heb. 4:12). Have you experienced dry seasons in your prayer life? Applying the vocabulary of Scripture to your prayer life will enliven it!
5. His Word reminds us to stay focused upon Him in prayer: “But my eyes are fixed on you, sovereign Lord . . .” (Ps. 141:8). In good times or bad, we need to have our eyes fixed and focused upon the Lord. Take everything to the Lord prayerfully, asking Him to take charge and work His will in every situation that arises. Be sure that prayer is always your first response, not your last resort.
6. Praying the Word of God and hearing it prayed, builds our faith in God’s ability to hear and answer: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Rom. 10:17). When we hear the Word of Christ, it builds our faith. When we pray the Word of Christ, it demonstrates our faith in what He will do.
7. Praying the Word of God protects us from sin: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11). We can use Scripture in our prayer lives if the Word is hidden in our hearts, reminding us of righteous living.
8. Praying the Word boldly strengthens our witness to unbelievers: “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people” (1 Peter 2:15). As you begin to pray bold prayers from the Word of God and He begins to answer, those who doubt or are uncertain of who Jesus is, will have to take another look.
9. We should pray Scripture so that God is honored and glorified! “All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you. They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom” (Ps. 145:10-12, emphasis added). Whenever you pray Scripture, you bring glory and honor to the Father! The “so that” prayer makes every prayer a Kingdom prayer—a God-honoring prayer that touches the heart of the Father!

  When you pray God’s will for your life and the lives of others, be prepared to be yielded and obedient if He should ask you to be the answer to the prayers you pray! KIM BUTTS is the cofounder of Harvest Prayer Ministries (with her husband Dave) and the author of The Praying Family: Creative Ways to Pray Together. She and Dave are coauthors of Revolution on Our Knees: 30 Days of Prayer for Neighbors and Nations and Pray Like the King: Lessons from the Prayers of Israel’s Kings.  From Prayer Connect magazine. Click here for subscription information. This article is also a part of a 48-page booklet, Solid Foundation, which is designed to motivate and equip individuals and a congregation to pray God’s Word. Click for information.