WHAT IS PRAYER?
Praying…what does it mean exactly? Is there a method to prayer? How do I do it and what do I say? Is there a right or wrong way to pray? I know God is not a vending machine where I only come to Him when I want something. I know he wants a relationship with me and I with Him. But sometimes I wonder, “Am I doing it right?” Or, “Does He hear me?” Or, “How do others pray?” Or, “Is there a better way?”
I know I have asked these questions of myself. So if you are also asking them…just know, you are not alone.
So what is PRAYER? Simply put it is time and communication with God. So what is communication? It is giving, receiving, and sharing information. It is a two-way path between me and God….between YOU and God.
What I love about prayer AND find very difficult, is that it is not just me talking to God. God wants and will respond to me too. BUT, I have to be silent and listen. I have to pause and let Him lead me. He wants to lead and love on all of us. He wants a relationship with all of us through His Son Jesus. We need to pause and listen for the still small voice, the gentle whisper, of our loving Father. (1 Kings 19:11-13)
ACRONYMS FOR PRAYER:
I have seen suggestions on acronyms to remind us of the different areas of prayer such as ACTS, PRAY or CHAT:
A – Acknowledge God and His sovereignty.
C –Confess my sin
T – Offer Thanksgiving and gratitude
S – Supplication or asking humbly/earnestly for something
P – Praise
R – Repent
A – Ask
Y – Yield
C – Confess
H – Honor
A – Ask
T – Thanks
All of these are great and are also very similar. Any one of them can help as a guide for our prayer time.
SCRIPTURE JOURNALING AND PRAYING SCRIPTURE
In addition to these helpful reminders, I have recently been reintroduced to another form of prayer that has touched my heart and replenished my soul. And that is by “praying scripture”. Back in the day, I used to do this but for whatever reason I stepped away from scripture journaling and praying scripture. At the beginning of August 2023, I received emails, heard podcasts, and read books that all pointed to this method. I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to go back to the Word of God in my quiet time to pray. To use God’s very Word of Truth to be the foundation of my prayers. And to write them out…putting pen to paper.
Pen-to-paper seems like such a slow method of journaling these days, but I found it to be dramatically healing and life-giving. By slowing my mind and thoughts through the process of writing, I am able to use the rhythm of the flowing strokes not only to process my thoughts but also to process and reflect on what God is telling me through the Words of scripture. To process the lessons and the promises and the wisdom He is providing to me.
DAILY LITTLE MIRACLES
I am also shocked by the timeliness of the passages to my life. I have often asked, “How did you know I needed to hear this, God? Your Words were a salve to my soul.” I am experiencing my own little miracles through this process by receiving direction, counsel, and wisdom for the very trials that are in my life or dominating my mind. The Word itself allows me to feel closer to God in those moments when it feels like He is speaking directly to me through His Word.
I CAN’T HELP BUT PRAISE HIM
But it is not just direction or wisdom for my life, the scripture also points me to praise and thanksgiving for God’s character, love, mercy, faithfulness, promises and love. I am able to see Him act in the lives of those found in the Word from thousands of years ago. I see His love in action and the love of His followers to others in need. I see His followers serving others and Him in their actions even when they too are suffering. Praying through the scriptures has linked me to those who came before me as I realize their words are my words; their thoughts are my thoughts; their cries are my cries; and their words of praise are my words of praise for our Savior Jesus and the love he has for me.
FUTURE BLOG POSTS
I will be sharing some of my prayers with you in future posts. Prayers that have flowed from my heart through my pen to the paper that have touched me deeply and allowed my soul to be soothed by the messages. I hope they are a stimulus for you to pull out your Bible and use it as a prayer tool.
PRAYER
Abba Father, You are a gracious and merciful God. I am in awe that You desire a relationship with me. You are the Creator of this world, the sun and the moon, the stars and the galaxies, the animals, plants, and crawly-things. Yet even with all of this You created man-kind in Your image. You created me. AND You want a relationship with me. Thank You, Jesus, for the love You have for Your creation. Thank YOu for the examples I have in Your Word of Your love, your promises, and your wisdom. Help me lean on You for my decisions. Help me praise You for Your love and glory. Help me act for You as a servant to those around me. Help me use Your Word as a tool for communication with You. Amen.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
- Are you using Scripture as a tool for prayer currently? If not, are you willing to try?
- How has God spoken to you through the passages of the Bible?
- What is your favorite scripture that seems to speak to you ever time you read it?
I would love for you to share your experiences as you use scripture journaling and praying scripture as a tool for communication with our Lord and Savior. Please share in the comments below or send me a private email to stacy@stacyturley.com.
God bless you all, Sweet Circle,
Hugs and blessings,
Stacy
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