You simply cannot go wrong when praying Scripture.
To be honest, as I look back over my life of prayer I must admit there have been times when I simply did not know what to pray – blank mind, no words. There have also been times when my prayers seemed mechanical – rote, repetitive, even dull.
On occasion my prayers have even felt powerless – ineffective, as though they made no difference.
Can you relate? Ever feel like you are praying “wrong” or your prayers are of no benefit?
Over the past year or so, I have discovered that there are many ways to “breathe new life” into my prayers when faced with any of these scenarios.
Just what do we mean when we say, “PRAY SCRIPTURE?”
According to Evan B. Howard, author of Praying the Scriptures, “To pray the Scriptures is to order one’s time of prayer around a particular text in the Bible.”
This can be done in one of several ways including:
- Praying Scripture word-for-word as you read a chosen portion of Scripture in a prayerful manner.
- Personalizing the Scripture by inserting your own names or names of your loved ones as you pray.
- Reading through a passage or verse several times emphasizing a different word each time.
- Praying through topics using Scriptural texts.
PRAYING SCRIPTURE is not only one of my favorite ways to “breathe new life” into my prayers, it is one of my favorite tools for praying for my grandchildren.
Some Scriptures especially suited to praying for grandchildren are Numbers 6:22-27, Ephesians 1:15-23, Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9-12, Psalm 91, Psalm 139, and The Book of Proverbs.
Let’s take a closer look at PRAYING SCRIPTURE using one of these passages as it might be prayed for a grandchild:
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. — Ephesians 1:15-23 (ESV)
One way to pray this Scripture for our grandchildren would be to personalize it by reading it as though it were written specifically for one’s own grandchild.
Additionally, the pray-er could personalize it even more by making personal petitions on behalf of their grandchild as they read/pray.
For example, at “give thanks” a grandparent could stop and take a few moments to thank God for a grandchild or all of their grandchildren by name. While giving thanks, a praying grandparent might also want to offer thanks for the privilege of being a grandparent and for God’s very gracious blessings.
At “may give you the Spirit of wisdom,” ask God to give your grandchildren spiritual wisdom for the purpose of making godly decisions. Pray that your grandchildren would develop a sense of holy reverence and awe of the Lord.
As you pray for “the revelation in the knowledge of him,” pray that God will help your grandchild to grow in knowledge of and love for Christ.
As you continue, pray that each of your grandchildren will have the eyes of their hearts enlightened; that they will get understanding and hate every false way (Psalm 119:104).
When you pray “that [your grandchild] may know what is the hope to which he has [been] called,” ask God to help your grandchild live with an eternal perspective. Pray that your grandchild would come to know Christ, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).
Thank God for the eternal inheritance He has in store for your grandchildren (Ephesians 1:14, Colossians 3:24, Hebrews 9:15, 1 Peter 1:4).
Ask God to enable your grandchildren to live obediently through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank Him for the life-from-death power that is accessible to your grandchildren.
Pray that the Holy Spirit would provide strength to enable your grandchildren to resist temptation and to live brave.
Finally, pray that your grandchildren would be established in love and grasp the love of Christ. Ask God to help your grandchildren love others, walk in love, and live in the freedom of Jesus’ unconditional love.
If you have never PRAYED SCRIPTURE before, why not begin here? Then try praying some of the other passages for your grandchildren. As you become more comfortable with the practice, you might even pray Scripture for others or yourself.
PRAYING SCRIPTURE:
- Provides us with the WORDS to pray.
- Allows us to use the emotions of the Bible as we pray.
- Strengthens our “prayer” confidence.
- Teaches us how to communicate with God.
- Deepens our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
- Makes us pliable to His shaping.
- Combines the spiritual discipline of engaging with Scripture with the spiritual discipline of praying to provide more benefit to the soul.
I’d love to hear how PRAYING SCRIPTURE has impacted your life or how you might choose to pray Ephesians 1:15-23 for your grandchildren. Please share by leaving a comment.
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