When I was new to reading the Bible, I was very discouraged by my incredibly terrible memory. I used to have a wonderful memory. I’d grown up doing community theatre and held many roles that required memorizing many lines. When I was pregnant with my kiddo, though, I developed what we moms call “pregnancy brain”, and it never left me. I remember starting to read scripture and I was really worried about how I would ever memorize any of it, so I told myself I would never try. Fast forward a few years and the Holy Spirit has been working in my stubborn heart, teaching me to pray scripture, and bringing to remembrance His Word at the right time in the right situations more and more often.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 14:26 ESV
Why should I pray scripture?
To pray scripture is to speak God’s Word back to Him. It helps us to remember His promises and commands, and as we spend more time in the Word of God the Holy Spirit has more to bring to remembrance at the right moments.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
John 15:7 ESV
In John 15 Jesus is explaining how to abide in Him. He tells us that when we abide in Him, He abides in us. When we abide in Him, His Word abides in us. When His Word abides in us we can ask whatever we wish and He will do it. What Jesus is saying is that when we remain faithful to Him, when we are spending time in His Word, when we are living according to His will, commands, and instructions for our lives out of love for Him then He will grant us the desires of our heart because our desires will be aligned with His desires for our lives.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
Psalm 37:4 ESV
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
How do I pray scripture?
To pray scripture, we have to be in scripture to start with. If we don’t spend time in the Word, how will the Holy Spirit remind us of scripture? Spending time with the Lord in prayer and scripture every day is essential to the life of every Christian. It helps us to grow in our relationship with the Lord, teaches us to pray to God in all circumstances and to be intentional about our communication and relationship with Him. Praying scripture helps us to abide in Him, and the Word to abide in us.
Some ways that have helped me start to pray scripture are:
- Weekly memory verses
- Verse mapping to connect relevant verses to one another
- Studying prayers in scripture
- Using a prayer journal
- Reading the Bible with family or friends
- Starting a prayer and scripture routine
- Using Bible reading plans the guide me through a specific topic
- Praying intentionally and in all circumstances
Being in the Word helps us to learn more about how God instructs and desires for us to live our lives, and gives the Holy Spirit more to bring to remembrance at the times we need the reminder. How do you spend time in the Word each day? In what ways do you pray scripture? Share and encourage one another, just as we are called in scripture to do.
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV
