Martin Luther is quoted as saying, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” I remember the first time I read that I thought, ‘What on earth did he do all that time?’ The disciples seemed to have had a similar reaction to Jesus.
Jesus busied Himself with ministry in the day, but at the beginning and end of the day, He was often alone praying. He would get up to pray, “very early in the morning, while it was still dark” (Mark 1:35) and, as evening approached, he would often dismiss the crowds and go off by himself to pray (Matthew 14:23). With a big decision looming the next day, Luke tells us that, “he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). It’s no wonder that the disciples asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). What could He have been saying all that time?
Many people get tongue-tied giving thanks before a meal and feel that their prayers run out of steam (and words!) after just a few minutes. While it’s true that just praying helps you get more comfortable and natural in prayer, I believe that God has given the prayers of Scripture to not only teach us to pray but to guide our prayers. They give us words to express our thoughts and desires to Him.
1. The prayers of Scripture help us express praise.
Jesus taught us to pray “Hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). The phrase means to recognize God’s name or character as holy and set apart. But how do you do that? The prayers of the Bible teach us. Praying through prayers like Psalm 19, 96, 103, and 147 inspires you with wonder and awe at the nature of God and His faithful works on behalf of His people. Reading one or more verses and then pausing to personalize and express similar thoughts in your own words helps you learn to meditate on God’s character and put your thoughts of wonder and thanks into words.
2. The prayers of Scripture help us pray according to God’s will.
Jesus taught us to pray for God’s will to be done (Matthew 6:10). While we can start by praying, “Your will be done,” the Bible is filled with examples of how to pray for this. Paul’s prayers, in particular, give us direction in this. For the church in Rome, he prayed for their unity (Romans 15:5-6) and the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). For the church in Ephesus, he prayed for their wisdom and to have their eyes opened to the hope and the power given to believers (Ephesians 1:15-23). He asked God to strengthen them, establish them in love and to fill them with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-21). For the church in Philippi, he prayed that their love would grow in knowledge and that they might discern God’s best and be filled with righteousness (Philippians 1:9-11). Similarly, praying through his prayers for the Colossians (Colossians 1:3-14) and the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; 5:23-24; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; 2:16-17) guide us in the ways that we can pray for those around us and seek God’s will in concrete ways.
3. The prayers of Scripture help us build trust.
While prayer is intended to have us express our dependence on God, without the help of biblical prayers, our prayers can sometimes become an affirmation of defeat rather than victory. We can spend so much time telling God how overwhelmed and worried we are that we end up feeling worse after prayer rather than better. The prayers of Scripture teach us to affirm our trust in God. In Psalm 27, for example, when David prays, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid” (v. 1), it’s an invitation to express your own trust in God and affirm your confidence in the face of challenges and adversity.
Do you run out of words in prayer? Do you find yourself repeating the same prayers over and over? Does your mind wander when you talk to God? Learn to pray the prayers of Scripture. Pray through a psalm or turn to one of the prayers of Jesus or Paul. Let God, Himself, teach you to pray.
In awe of Him,
Paul
