Praying the scriptures.

Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 CSB: “

God desires for all believers to have a personal relationship with him through Jesus Christ. His will is for all believers to make intercessions for others, themselves and for His Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. God’s heart is for his children to be thoroughly equipped for good works. Prayer is one of the ways which God works through believers.

How often do Christians pray as led by the Holy Spirit? And how many believers include the Scriptures in their prayer life? The Bible is an effective tool set for prayer and it equips believers on how to effectively pray using the scriptures.

• The Bible is God’s inerrant word, meaning it has no errors in its original form.
• It is God breathed. 2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
• The word of God is the sword of the spirit. Ephesians 6:17 ASV And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
• The word of God is active and alive. Hebrews 4:12 NIV says For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
• The word of God is spirit and life and when we pray the word of God, it becomes activated over our lives. John 6:63 AMP It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh conveys no benefit [it is of no account]. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life [providing eternal life].

When Praying Scriptures: (Prayers can be made for Thanksgiving, adoration, exaltation, Declarations, supplication, petition, intercession and warfare) Christians, are to boldly enter God’s presence with thanksgiving, all manner of praises, worship, exaltation and adoration. Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the LORD! Serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that the LORD is God. He made us, and we are his- his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.  For the LORD is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations. Psalm 100:1-5 CSB

• The prayers of a Christian should not be entirely centered on making requests, but on thanking, praising and glorifying the LORD for His goodness and faithfulness. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ASV.
• Christians, should approach the Throne of Grace with confidence knowing that God is faithful and He hears their prayers, petition and requests without fear as the Bible says in Hebrews 4:16 CSB Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.
• As a child of God you cannot pray fearfully without Faith. Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him Hebrews 11:6 CSB.
• Christians, are meant to exercise Faith regardless of circumstances and exercise that Faith while in prayer. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Philippians 4:6-7 CSB.
• Christians, must know whom they are and what is their identity in Christ and apply it in prayer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 BSB.
• When Christians pray the scriptures they align themselves to the dominion and authority they have in Christ. For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons Romans 8:14 CSB.
• Christians, are to pray about all things without ceasing at all times. pray without ceasing 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ASV.
• Christians, are encouraged to pray scriptures and make declarations over their lives. You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And the light [of God’s favor] will shine upon your ways Job 22:28 AMP.
• Christians, are urged to make intercessions for all nations and fellow saints all over the world. I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings, be made for all men 1 Timothy 2:1 ASV.
• To pray is to communicate with God, and it is important to do it in spirit and truth and not religiously or legalistically. John 4:24 NIV says God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
• Christians, must know who their enemy is and fight effectively.  Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you James 4:7 BSB.
• Christians, must know they are already walking in victory through Christ. They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death Revelation 12:11 BSB.
• Christians, must war in the Spirit using the weapons of God which are mighty. For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 BSB.
• Christians, must clothe themselves in the full armor of God each time during prayer. Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV tells us to Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
• Christians, must believe that their prayers are heard and answered. And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him 1 John 5:14-15 BSB.

Through this article, I hope you are encouraged to keep seeking God through prayer for His kingdom to come down on earth as it is in Heaven. May your prayer life be Impacted for the glory of God the Father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit in Jesus name. Amen