Praying the scriptures.
You may have heard this done before but for those that haven't, it is exactly what it sounds like. Doing it with your Bible in hand is easy. Find the scripture or passage that speaks to what you're wanting/needing to pray about and simply recite it much as you would The Lord's Prayer. Doing it without your Bible takes time and most importantly, studying. In order to pray the scriptures off the top of your head, you have to know them. Which means you have to dust off your Bibles between Sunday services and take the time to read. I don't have a problem memorizing things. I can sing you songs from the 90's that I haven't heard since then! But for some reason, retaining scriptures is tough. I know I don't read it or study it enough. Those songs were either on the radio constantly or on cassette and later cd where I replayed it over and over and over! So I need to do the same with the Bible. The more I see it and say it out loud the more I'll retain it. This is something that will take time, so go into it knowing that and be patient with yourself. And learning the scriptures isn't only for praying. When you or someone you know goes through a difficult time you'll have a reference in you mind where to go in the Bible for an encouraging word or a similar situation. You can use this knowledge to encourage yourself or others and in the process of studying The Word. This will only bring you closer to God. Exactly where He wants us to be.
Hugs!
Thank you for sharing this. I know some of my most meaningful prayer times have been when I've prayed one of the psalms. It's also helpful when I am praying and a verse pops to my mind. But I know I ought to have more Scripture memorized. Thanks for the challenge!
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