A very significant step forward I have experienced in my prayer life has been learning to incorporate Bible passages into my prayers. That step alone took me to another level of prayer. I weave Bible verses into my prayers to God in two primary ways: in offering praise and in making requests. There are passages which reveal God’s greatness, His character, His mighty works and His glory. These verses help us to praise God well—according to who He really is. Other passages clearly state God’s desire for us. These passages help me to pray according to God’s will, to ask for the things God wants.
Would you like to give it a try? Here are some passages for these two categories—praise and petition—to help you get started. What I have done is to pair them so that in one prayer you can have both elements.
Praise Petition
Exodus 15:1-6 Ephesians 3:14-21
Psalm 9:1-12 Ephesians 4:11-16
2 Samuel 22:1-7 Colossians 4:2-4
Exodus 15:6-12 John 17:9-19
Psalm 30:1-5 John 17:20-23
As you use the “praise” passage, look for what it reveals about God. Then speak that back to God as a response of adoration: “God, You are greatly exalted!” (from Exodus 15:1) When you use a “petition” passage, look for what it says God wants. Ask Him to accomplish that in you and in others: “Please strengthen me with power through your Spirit in my inner being.” (from Ephesians 3:16)
There is no rush! You may want to use the same pair of passages for a week and then switch to another pair. If you find this helpful and would like more pairs of passages, just email me: [email protected] . I have about 70 more! And you can also look for your own praise and petition passages as you are doing your personal Bible reading.
God bless you as you pray the Bible!