Prayer Series 4: Praying God’s Word
I am not a great memorizer. In fact, my memory is terrible. Luckily, God has given me a husband who remembers everything, for better and for worse, even things I would rather block from his memory forever (yes, I have those too). Some have said he has a photographic memory. He has the ability to remember places, random facts, analogies, and teachings. Oh man! If I could have a memory for one thing, it would be scripture. Like most, I need repetition, repetition, repetition, and then more repetition. Even if I do memorize scripture, it’s forgotten in no time.
I was so blessed to help my mom move out of our childhood house and into a house with her wonderful new husband the past few weeks. We went through so many childhood memories like photographs, school work, cards, and crafts. One thing I was so amazed by was all of the Bible verses I had on crafts and school work from childhood. I so appreciate that I had parents that developed my godly character and prioritized learning about God throughout my preschool and elementary years, but it made me realize how easy it was to forget all those lessons when we stopped going to church, when sin snuck in, when our family drifted away from the Lord, and I backslid in my teens and twenties.
What’s my point? The Bible is God’s Word to us – to YOU! In it is found His will for our lives. His amazing promises – and He is faithful 100% of the time. Reminders to us, when we forget, of His love for us. How He knew us before we knew Him. How He has forgiven us and loves us. That He has a plan for us. That He will restore us and protect us. That He has already conquered and made us victorious now and for eternity. His love and His Word sets us free, so our joy may be full.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits” – Psalm 103:2
Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not the “work” of memorizing the Word at all. No one gets points for having the Word memorized or being able to recite a bunch of memory verses. The point is that we must spend time with God consistently, in relationship, to stay strong, to stay filled up, to equip ourselves for trials, discouragement, and afflictions which do come and are many.
When you spend time in His Word and He impresses His promises on your heart, read it over and over and PRAY ON IT! You know those little nuggets that touch your heart during a Bible Study? Those are His words for you today. Praise Him, thank Him, and pray on those promises. Ask Him to help you prepare for the days, weeks, and years ahead by writing His words on your heart. When you feel empty or distant from God, return to your Creator and spend time with Him. He’s available 24/7. It’s us that make ourselves too busy and unavailable, not Him. He is always there with open arms. Get into His actual Word, not just books written by men about the Bible. Meditate on His promises and pray them. Put them on a Post-it. Put them in a prayer journal. Email them to yourself. Put them on your fridge. Put them on your desk. Share them with others. Teach them to your kids. Then repeat, repeat, repeat, and never stop. Our human hearts, minds, and souls need to be in consistent fellowship with our God to have His Will and His Word front and center in our lives where it belongs.
So, what I’m saying is, don’t beat yourself up over your inability to spout off scripture or pray it out loud on the spot. Just keep it simple. Draw close to Him and He will draw close to you. I pray for God to continue to increase our passion for Him and our desire to be in His presence and in His Word. Praise God for new mercies every morning! He is so good.