I have heard people speak about praying the scriptures and praying the psalms many times, but I have always had trouble understanding what that meant. I understand that prayer should come from the heart, and I thought letting our prayer be a repetition of God’s word, would not be from the heart. But recently, I am beginning to understand it a bit more. I understand that praying from the scriptures can be from the heart and with the intention of praying according to God’s will. It is not simply repeating the word mindlessly as a prayer, but it is about understanding what the word is saying and intentionally praying about that specific idea.

So, as we read the scripture and meditate on what is being said, we can then use what it’s saying to us to pray it for ourselves and others. When we read a passage from the Bible, we will see certain things that stand out to us at that moment. We will see what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us at that time. Then, when we reread the same passage another time, other things may stand out to us and so on. So as we read and listen for the Holy Spirit and then use what he is showing us:

to pray that God fulfils this word in us,

to pray that he embeds this word in us,

to pray that this word transforms our heart,

to pray that this word can bless those around us and more.  

And as we use the word to formulate our pray, we begin to pray according to the word of God, according to God’s will.

Psalm 1

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1 Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
² but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
⁴ The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶ for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Using Psalm 1 as an example, as I read through Psalm 1, I note the things that stand out to me, things that speak to me, the things that I desire. Then, I take my time reading and meditating on the passage, and when I feel ready, I pray about it.

My Prayer as an example:

Lord, thank you for your word

For it gives us life and your presence.

Lord help me to delight in your word always

I always want to have this love for your word

I want to have joy knowing that this is you and your message to me.

Help me to be able to meditate on it day and night

Never put anything else before it.

Help me to see your word as my necessary food day and night.

Help me to know that it is life; it is healing, it is transforming

To remember that it is you.

Help me to use this word that transforms me to be able to bear fruit

Transform my ways with your word that I will be only filled with good fruit

Help me to prosper in all the ways you have for me

To prosper in knowing you, to prosper in trusting you

To prosper in sharing you, to prosper in loving others as you do.

I pray LORD that just as it says, you know the way of the righteous that you know my way, LORD. That you make me righteous and plan my way to be according to your will.

Amen.