By John David Hicks
There is a special blessing, authority, and power when you pray the Word of God. “Praying God’s Word completely changed my prayer life,” one pastor said. “It was like lifting weights—suddenly my prayers had real substance and I could tell I was putting on some spiritual muscle.”
Scripture reveals God’s will, so when you pray God’s Word back to God, you are asking Him for what He has already shown to be His will. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).
Desiring God’s will is coming into agreement with God. This “partnership” or “interaction” with God comes out in worship, singing, and praise. Praying scriptural promises can breathe new life into corporate prayer meetings, and praying the prayers of Paul in Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians, for example, can give real spiritual breakthroughs.
The Word of God is “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17). Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
That is why Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word is alive and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword. When you use scriptures in your prayer, you are coming into agreement with God, and His power is released in answer to your prayer. You have prayed for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” Praying Scripture, you can have confidence that you are praying in God’s will.
Here are some examples of the authority, power, and blessing of praying Scripture. Read the scripture and then make it your prayer.
Scripture for someone who needs God: 2 Corinthians 4:4. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Matthew 12:29. “How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.”
2 Peter 3:9. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Matthew 9:37-38. “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Prayer: Lord, You said that Satan has blinded unbelievers to the gospel. So I take your authority, in the name of Jesus, and release the light of the gospel into the life of [name]. Let Your light overcome the darkness in his life. At the cross, You bound the strong man and took his possessions; so I pray that You set him free to receive You as Savior and Lord. You want all to come to repentance. Lord, I ask that You will send laborers across [name’s] path, laborers that will bring the word of salvation and deliverance. Thank You that You have heard this prayer.
Scripture: Psalm 100:5. “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Prayer: Lord, You are good and Your love endures forever; Your faithfulness continues through all generations.
Scripture: Acts 15:9. “He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for purifying my heart by faith.
Scripture: Hebrews 13:8. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Genesis 15:1. “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
Prayer: Lord, You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Be to me what You were to Abram: my shield and my very great reward.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:30. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”
Prayer: Lord, I live in You and Your wisdom in me gives me my holiness, righteousness, and redemption.
Scripture: Romans 5:1-2. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
Prayer: Lord, having been justified by faith, I have peace with You through my Lord Jesus Christ in which I now stand.
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:3. “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Prayer: Lord, I desire that my work be done in faith, that my labor be prompted by love, and that my endurance be inspired by my hope in my Lord Jesus Christ.
Scripture: Romans 5:2. “We have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for helping me to understand that the access I have to Your grace in which I stand has come to me by faith—humbly trusting you. I rejoice in the hope of Your glory.
You get the idea. Read the Scripture and make it your prayer. Here is my Morning Scriptural Prayer:
“Lord, I enter Your gates with thanksgiving and Your courts with praise; I bless Your holy name (Psalm 100:4-5). I worship You as my Lord, Savior, and King (2 Peter 1:10-11).
“Lord, You have given Your life to redeem me, made me Your child, and given me an everlasting inheritance of Yourself. I thank You that I am deeply loved, highly favored, and greatly blessed by You (Numbers 6:24-26). Your love for me has been unchangeable, unshakable, and unfailing (Jer. 31:3). I receive Your abundance of grace and Your gift of righteousness. With no condemnation You said that I will reign in life (Romans 5:17). You have made me more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ who loves me (Romans 8:37).
“In these evil days help me to ‘redeem the time’ (Eph. 5:16). I desire to do Your will and make You known. Let Your presence flow like a river through me into all I touch today (John 7:38). You have called me as Your ambassador to the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20). You have anointed me to minister to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, set the captives free, and liberate those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18-19). Lord, I pray for many open doors of opportunity to testify of Your grace (Col. 4:3). Show me what You are up to today (Eph. 5:17). I want to be a part of it. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen and amen.”
The scriptures behind that prayer: Psalm 100:4-5: “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.”
2 Peter 1:10-11: “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”
Jeremiah 31:3: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”
Romans 5:17: “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
Romans 8:37: “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”
Numbers 6:24-26: The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Ephesians 5:15-16: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
John 7:38: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
2 Corinthians 5:18-20: “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
Luke 4:18-19: “The spirit of the LORD is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD.”
Colossians 4:3 (NLT): “Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ.”
Ephesians 5:17: “So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Remember that Scripture reveals the will of God, and prayer that is founded on Scripture is praying for God’s will to be done. You can have confidence and boldness to come into His presence.
Let me close with four quotes on prayer: (1) “No one’s a firmer believer in the power of prayer than the devil; not that he practices it, but he suffers from it” –Guy H. King. (2) “God does nothing but by prayer, and everything with it” –John Wesley. (3) “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed” –A. J. Gordon. (4) “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of” –Lord Alfred Tennyson.”