The Christian life is defined by many things: church attendance, good deeds, communion, and Bible reading. These are all accurate habits of Christian faithfulness, but the list is nowhere near exhaustive. The term Christian actually means Christ follower. When we believe in Jesus, we get to follow Christ.
And following Christ may be our biggest problem.
We are task-oriented people. We often view our relationship with God as a list of responsibilities to be completed rather than an opportunity to let God lead:
- I need to go to church on Sunday.
- I need to read my Bible.
- I need to be patient.
- I need to be kind to others.
All of that may be true, but at some point, we have to ask the deeper question: Where does our faith become relational? Do we actually see our faith as a relationship, or merely a religious routine?
Prayer is often where this tension shows up most clearly.
Yes, prayer can be added to a checklist. You can mark it off alongside your daily Bible reading and move on. Perhaps you say a quick prayer prior to a meal, but when prayer becomes only a task, we miss what it actually is: conversation with God.
We get to talk to God.
Reading scripture can be an intimate act toward God, and it should be. But prayer is where we speak to Him. Prayer is not merely saying religious words into the air or trivial requests that we blast at the ceiling; it is responding to the living God who has already spoken.
I often think of the early days of my relationship with my wife, Sharon. We were long-distance and wrote many letters (real letters, on paper, with a pen). Those letters mattered and were necessary for relationship. They carried meaning, care, and intention.
But what was better?
Well, the best was seeing each other.
And when that wasn’t possible, speaking on the phone. In conversation, we could pour out our hearts. The other person could listen, hear, and respond. It was fast and allowed us to express in words what we knew of each other through the letters. That kind of communication was powerful in a way that writing alone could never be.
So it is with prayer. We long to see God and be with him, but in the meantime, we can spend time in prayer talking to him.
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Prayer is not explicitly named there, but the invitation is unmistakable. Christ calls us to come to him, not merely to study him, but to approach him.
Philippians 4:6 is even more direct: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Again, the invitation is clear. We are called to bring ourselves; our anxieties, needs, gratitude, and longings before God in prayer.
So what hinders us? Often, it is words.
Many Christians struggle with prayer because they feel inadequate. How can I sustain a one-sided conversation with the God of the universe for any length of time? What words could I possibly use, especially when it comes to my pain or adoration?
This is where praying the scriptures becomes profoundly helpful.
When we pray scripture, we are not inventing words—we are speaking back to God the very words he inspired. We are letting His Word shape our thoughts, guide our language, and direct our desires. Bible reading and prayer no longer sit side by side as separate duties; they come full circle.
So how do we do this? Simply put, we pray what we read.
Linguistically, this often means adjusting pronouns and verb tenses. A statement becomes a petition. A truth becomes praise. A command becomes confession or dependence. But don’t let the form distract you from the point.
The point is not technique. The point is the relationship with God.
We are responding to God with his own Word; slowly, thoughtfully, honestly. We are learning to talk to Him, not just about Him.
In the sections that follow, we’ll look at specific passages of scripture and walk through how they can be prayed, not as a formula but as a means of drawing near to God in faith.
Consider praying these texts:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:9-13)
Father, you are awesome. Your power is over all things. Give me what I need for the day that will draw me close to you. Forgive me for my sin of doubting your character. Help my desires be pleasing to you and give me insight to fight my sins. Help me treasure you as King. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)
Lord help me rejoice in you. Help my attitude be anchored in your presence. Help me not be anxious about … because my hope is in you. Would you take this burden away? You are such a gracious God, thank you for hearing my prayers. Amen.
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13)
Lord, help me! This is hurting, has hurt for a long time, and my heart hurts. Lord help me. How long will my enemy be exalted over me? How long will they be exalted over me? Hear my prayer, oh Lord, and help me. Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; give me hope, lest I give up saying the enemy has won. Help me trust in your steadfast love; help me rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD because he has dealt bountifully with me. Amen.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Father, help me trust you with all my heart and not lean on my own understanding. In all my ways, I want to acknowledge you. Walk me down the paths you desire me to go. Amen.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. (Psalm 46:1-3)
Lord help me trust you as refuge and strength, a very help in trouble. Help me not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling, help me trust in you. Amen.
Consider these texts and pray.
The Lord hears our prayers, and while words may fail us, he has provided us with plenty of words to use in talking with him. Lean in, stumble through, and recognize God’s desire through prayer for a relationship with you, his chosen child.
In writing an article on praying scripture, it seems fitting to end by praying this alongside you.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)