![]() |
The Secret to Growing in PrayerBy Dan VisJune 10, 2019 Comments: 52 |
As you probably know, our featured class this month is called Prayer Secrets. And it's free through the month of June. This week's memo adds right to that theme of prayer. Enjoy the reading, then head right over to the class and sign up if you haven't already!

Many people find growing in prayer a challenge. And there are plenty of opinions out there about how to improve. In the paragraphs below, I'd like to share one of the things that helped me learn to pray. It's something I call Scriptural Praying.
And I stumbled on to it by accident.
Prayer & Scripture
From the first years of my Christian journey, I felt it was important to connect prayer and Scripture. Memorizing verses like John 15:7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. and Romans 10:17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. strengthened that conviction. So I made it a point to attach specific promises to specific requests and claim them.Later, I began to understand experientially the prayerful state we should be in when studying, and conversely, the need to listen for God speaking back through memorized verses when in prayer. In time, the link between prayer and Scripture became so close it was not always clear how to distinguish between them.
At some point, the idea occurred to me to use Scripture as a framework for prayer. I would focus my prayer time on the beatitudes in Matthew 5--asking God to build each characteristic into my life. Or I would pray through the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, asking God to search my heart for pockets of sin I had not seen before. Or I would pray through Ephesians 6, asking God specifically to equip me with each piece of spiritual armor.
It was a simple process. I would find a passage appropriate to my needs and turn to it in my Bible. Then I would go through the passage verse by verse, slowly, simply talking with God about what each verses said. And listening. After a few moments, I'd proceed to the next verse and continue. I could go as fast or as slow as I wanted.
It was always powerful.
Useful Passages
In time, I found many more passages that were useful for this kind of prayer. Psalms of praise. Praying through a string of proverbs--asking God for the wisdom of Solomon. And of course, many of Paul's epistles were filled with amazing statements about God's will for the believers he was writing. And there were plenty of model prayers recorded in Scripture I could pattern my prayers after. Even parables and familiar Bible stories, were easy to take and adapt to situations in my life. The more I looked, the more I found.FREE Gift!
Want a list of some of my favorite passages for this kind of prayer? Check out this FREE download and get ready for some amazing prayer experiences!More Info
FREE Gift!
Want a list of amazing passages you can use to take your prayer life off to the next level? Get this FREE list of passages perfect for Scriptural Praying, along with tips on how to use them...And it's completely FREE to members!
Not yet a member? No problem! Just enter your name and email below. We'll send a quick email with a password to your new account. Use it to login, then return to this page to grab this and other FREE resources...
By joining, you agree to receive our email newsletter and to let us create an account you can use to begin interacting with our community. Please review our privacy policy for more information. |
Incorporating Scripture into my prayer life helped me stay focused. It also strengthened my faith, because I knew my requests were in line with God's will. In fact, they weren't just in harmony with Scripture, they were sparked by Scripture as the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart.
And this practice further deepened my conviction that prayer and Scripture are two sides of the same coin. Communication with God. Intimacy. The divine encounter. They shouldn't be disconnected.
Why not give Scriptural praying a try for your self?
Comments
What do you think of the suggestions in this article? Do you use Scripture in your prayers? How has it impacted your prayer life? How important is it to link prayer and Scripture together? Share a thought in the comments below...![]() |
Posted by Dan Vis on 08/23/20 | |
Sure, happy to share these resources Bert! Think of them as a birthday present, from us to you. :) | ||
![]() |
Posted by Bert Hopkins on 08/22/20 | |
ThankYou for the special Scripture study note. And ThankYou for this study. Praise God .I was using it in my prayers occasionally but now will be more focused . | ||
![]() |
Posted by Dan Vis on 11/26/19 | |
You are very welcome Denise! You can certainly add to the list, but it helps to have a few starter passages to, well, get started! :) | ||
![]() |
Posted by Denise Buglino on 11/25/19 | |
Thank you for sharing the Scriptural Prayer passages (bonus) compilation Dan. | ||
![]() |
Posted by Dan Vis on 06/13/19 | |
You are very welcome Emmanuel! I think you will enjoy it. Be sure to grab the free gift in the memo above! | ||
![]() |
Posted by Emmanuel Ajiroghene on 06/13/19 | |
This is just great. I am willing to implement it God's grace. Thanks for sharing sir. | ||
![]() |
Posted by John Gilmore on 06/12/19 | |
Yess! "... two sides of the same coin." The most valuable coin we can possess! | ||
![]() |
Posted by Leslie Caza on 06/11/19 | |
Dan Thank you for the additional insight and practical application of this method- it's a helpful clarification. | ||
![]() |
Posted by Dan Vis on 09/09/18 | |
Glad this post could give you some ideas for how to experience that Edil! You are very welcome... | ||
![]() |
Posted by Dan Vis on 08/27/18 | |
You're welcome Stuart! I think that the approach we covered in the Prayer Secrets class is great for basic daily prayer, but using these passages as described here is like icing on the cake! :) | ||
![]() |
Posted by Stuart Clarke on 08/27/18 | |
Love it That is exactly how I'm using my prayer journal now Thanks for the great class |
||
![]() |
Posted by Dan Vis on 08/27/18 | |
Those are two of the passages I recommended in the FREE handout above. Both great passages I've used many times Carole. :) | ||
![]() |
Posted by Dan Vis on 08/27/18 | |
Pam, I was talking about the Prayer Secrets class! You'll notice Vicky's quote was from last year. And I mentioned I was planning to do it in the spring of 2018! :) Well, didn't do it until August, but it's finished at last! We will do Power in Prayer at some point, but not sure when. Most likely 2020, as next year is pretty much all scheduled out... :) Glad you enjoyed the new handout Marion. I was just thinking about it last night, pulled out my own list of favorites, and added it to the reading. Love giving away little things that I know can be life-changing. This is my all time favorite way to pray--esp when I'm at retreats and getaways. Spend a lot of time planning ahead what passage to use, and then look forward to it with anticipation... |
||
![]() |
Posted by Marion Coppock on 08/27/18 | |
No, I don't usually use Scripture and Prayer together, occasionally yes. This will be a wonderful tool for me. Thanks. Dan | ||
![]() |
Posted by Dan Vis on 08/11/17 | |
Vicky, we are planning a challenge on prayer for the spring of 2018. And another on how to study the Bible devotionally. Can't wait! Thanks for the suggestion! :) |
||
![]() |
Posted by Robyn Pearl Hattingh on 05/01/17 | |
Wow!this is amazing.praise the Lord.pray for me as I follow this way of connecting prayer and scripture!thank you again Dan! | ||
![]() |
Posted by Linda Gerace on 11/05/16 | |
I hadn't considered before praying like this. Thank you for sharing this idea... I want to incorporate it into my devotional life. | ||
![]() |
Posted by Dan Vis on 11/03/16 | |
Thanks Shirley for sharing those ideas. Lillian, Vonda, so glad this content could be a blessing. Truly God's Word is powerful, and it does bring Jesus close!!! | ||
![]() |
Posted by Vonda Beerman on 11/03/16 | |
I am glad you are sharing this with people because this is what has really strengthen my faith over the last few years. Taking God at His Word, literally. Each verse is meant for you and as we claim it and pray it our faith strengthens. Looking at each word slowly and absorbing it, and letting it soak in is important. Jeremiah 15:16Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. says to eat it! Your right when you say scripture and prayer are like both sides of the coin, they go together and since I have been doing this it has brought Jesus so close! | ||
![]() |
Posted by Shirley Alsop on 11/01/16 | |
Hi again Jason Diehl, If you are able to download sermons and listen, here's a link to the devotional speaker's talks from our last Camp in South New South Wales, Australia: https://snsw.adventist.org.au/bc-sermons-ben-maxson-2016/ As we chatted with Ben just before he left after camp, his last bit of advice was to "Live Dead" (Galatians 2:20I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.), and "Keep Dusty" (in Jewish culture, a disciple following his Rabbi would stay so close to his Rabbi so he could listen to every word spoken, that he would be covered with dust from the Rabbi's feet!) Hope you will be as blessed as I have been! |
||
![]() |
Posted by Shirley Alsop on 11/01/16 | |
This post is so encouraging, thanks Dan Vis. And Jason Diehl, take heart... as you keep coming to God, and reaching out to Him, He will keep His promise to "never leave you or forsake you." We also live in a rural area, 2 hours drive from our nearest church, and can only attend 1 to 2 times/month. I feel so blessed though that we have access to so much teaching online and on YouTube now. We love Hope Sabbath School with Derek Morris! I've also listened to Pavel Goia's presentations on prayer and been blessed. See if you can get a prayer partner you can pray with regularly (on the phone if you can't meet face-to-face) maybe each week for extra encouragement. Plan to attend camp meetings whenever possible - they are always a great source of encouragement. When we were growing up we had Uncle Arthur's "The Bible Story" read to us, and as well as teaching your children the Bible stories, you will also learn so much from them. Another place to go for great Bible teaching and learning is http://www.pineknoll.org/all-audio-resources and download the audio files for "The Picture of God in all 66" - Graham Maxwell talks about the picture of God in each of the books of the Bible. Great to listen to as you drive! Or if you can put them on your iPhone and listen as you work, etc. And of course Dan has a lot of excellent talks you can download from this site to listen to when you can! I'm so glad for the promises in II Peter 1:2-42 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.: II Peter 1:2Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. II Peter 1:3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. II Peter 1:4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires. (NLT2) And Philippians 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: is one of my favourite promises: "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." God bless you and your family as you continue to grow in Him! |
||
![]() |
Posted by Dan Vis on 11/01/16 | |
Thanks again for everyone's encouragement. I think we've had more comments on this than on any of our blog posts yet. Yeah! Jason, you are kind of right. I mean, our study time should be a time of prayerful communion. But what I'm suggesting is our prayer time can also involve reflection on Scripture. But it is prayer. I usually kneel, put away my pen and paper. And I talk to God. Whereas in my study, I'm sitting at my desk with pen and paper, and perhaps listening more. And we can do either alone or in a group. But both can be kind of a conversation with God can't they? We shoot up questions to God while studying. We look for principles in the passage to inspire our prayer. There's listening and talking to God in both. That's what I meant by the two by less different than we think. Try experimenting with some passage--say Ephesians 3:14-2114 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.. Just pray through it verse by verse. Let each phrase spark your prayers. When you run out of stuff to say, move on to the next verse. Keep your ear open to the Spirit's promptings throughout. See what happens. God will teach each of us the best way to connect with Him. |
||
![]() |
Posted by Megan Johnson on 10/31/16 | |
Thank you for writing this. At times, I have struggled with praying meaningfully and haven't really grown through it. I think this will help! | ||
![]() |
Posted by Angie Leimena on 10/31/16 | |
Oh how I am grateful. I had a longing to do so. Now you have put it in such a way that inspire me. Thank you. I long to be so immersed in the Word of God. | ||
Want to Read More?
FAST has been providing quality training and impacting lives for more than 20 years! To read more articles, or leave a comment, please join our community...JOIN NOW