It can be a powerful experience Leslie. I usually do this separate from praying through my prayer journal, which tends to focus more on individual, specific promises. And this approach instead focuses on a long passage and is typically a whole prayer session all by itself. I like to use it on retreats and getaways. But the more we do this with these easy passages, the more we can do this with any verse anywhere. Glad you found this helpful!

Always love to hear people commit to giving something a good try. Thanks for sharing Carole. And please feel free to put a request in our Prayer Chapel (in the Student Lab). It would be great to have our team praying for you.

I am currently reading Ephesians chapter 6, and asking God to put on the Whole Armour of God.
Also, reading 1Corinthians chapter 13, praying over all I need to have His love in my life.

Blessings,
Carole

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...

I agree with Vicky Dan as I was reading this I was thinking it would be great to have a month's course on prayer ... so glad you are thinking of a longer challenge/live course on prayer next year - I will look forward to it!

I like this idea of scriptural prayers to... thanks for the free gift!

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! :)

This post is very encouraging to me. I need to learn to pray scriptural prayers more. The Word of God is so Powerful, and why not use it more often.

Thanks again, Dan. I am copying and printing your message to share it with my neighbors.

"Keep your ear open to the Spirit's promptings throughout." this is the part that seems strange and difficult to me. I've never been able to "hear" God, I spend about an hour every day on a walk through the woods and usually try to pray a little and spend the rest of the time just listening or relaxing. I just always thought I'm deaf, dumb, and blind when it comes to hearing God. Which is how as a Christian that's only been baptized for 2 years, I ended up in a church where I'm literally the last man standing (why don't men go to church anymore) and somehow leading this group of 12 or so. We did have a deacon for a short while but he barely moved his membership before he got a new job 3 hours away and moved. Feeling alone in a rural community with no training or support can be incredibly intimidating, frustrating, and I don't know.

I appreciate the support of a ministry such as this, if it wasn't for something like this I probably would have already felt so overwhelmed I would have walked away.

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.