Acts 4:24-30
Our Scripture can be a launch pad for our prayer. We learn about who God is from Scripture. We hear what God has said from Scripture. We see how God has initiated a relationship with us in Scripture. It is helpful for us to pray with Scripture as a starting point and a foundation.
In our 21 days of prayer and fasting, you will notice the prayer topics for each day use Scripture. We want to grow in this area. We can learn to draw strength from our relationship with God in this way.
In Acts 4:24 we see the believers praying together after the Jewish council instructs Peter and John to no longer teach about Jesus. They pray, quoting Psalm 2:1-2, as a foundation for their prayer. Then they say this powerful prayer: “O Lord, hear their threats, and give us your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”in Acts 4:29-30 and God responds to this prayer immediately with an earthquake and answers to their prayer.
Jesus said, “if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” In John 15:7-8 Jesus taught a lifestyle of praying with faith, using His words, and seeing answers to prayer. He said that this lifestyle brings glory to Father God. The disciples responded “teach us to pray,” in Luke 11:1 and Jesus replied with “This is how you should pray,” The teaching of Jesus Christ includes a prayer that is answering God within the context of who God is, His language and His Words found in Scripture. Each element of the Lord’s Prayer can be found in the Psalms.
Our Scripture can be a launch pad for our prayer. It’s a starting point, a foundation for, and a personal relationship context for what we would say to God and what we can expect from God. Such as, praying through the name of God. You can pray like this, “God, I know that Abraham found you to be the God who provides (Genesis 22:13-14) and so now I ask you Jehovah Jireh to provide for me.”
Another example would be asking God to do something based on something He has already said. In Nehemiah 9:17-18 we see the Levites lead the people in a prayer confessing their sin and asking for forgiveness based on the way that God described Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6 as a God who is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” They applied that Scripture to their own specific context in their prayer request to God for forgiveness. It is appropriate for us to pray in this way. Daniel also used this practice in this prayer, “We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.” – Daniel 9:18
This practice will help you pray based on truth and avoid prayer based on fantasy, fooling yourself.
Choosing to meditate on the Scripture before prayer is helpful with inspiring a true passion. The Scripture may lead you to wonder at the supernatural majesty of God. The Scripture may lead you to repentance of sin and receiving forgiveness. The Scripture may lead you to ask God for help or change in our broken world. The Scripture may lead you to thanksgiving for God’s provision. Thinking through what the Scripture is saying and letting your whole person interact with it will bring you to a place of authentic conversation with God. There is life-changing power available here. Joy and peace will become a benefit. Kevin DeYoung uses “3 R’s” to remember it by: rejoice repent request. You can pray just about any verse that way.
Don’t fall into perfectionism. God loves us in every step of our growth. The moment we are born again by the Spirit through faith in Christ (John 1:12-13; 3:5), that Spirit shows us that we are not simply God’s subjects but also His children, and we can converse with Him as our Father (Galatians 4:5-6). We can grow into using our Scripture as context for our personal relationship with God, as seen in Psalm 119:49-56 and “Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105
This practice will help you pray with confidence. You will know who God is and have a better idea of who you are as a result. “We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” – 1 John 5:14 This practice will help you know what to pray. It will help you pray specific God-sized requests and avoid meaningless repetition. So let us read our Scriptures, meditate on them, and then use them as a starting point & context for our prayer.
19 Prayers for 2019 from Scripture
1. “Please, show me Your glory.” – Moses in Exodus 33:18
2. “What does My Lord say to His servant.” – Joshua in Joshua 5:14
3. “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” – Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:10
4. “Give to Your servant an understanding heart.” – Solomon in 1 Kings 3:9
5. “Let it be known this day that You are God in Israel.” – Elijah in 1 Kings 18:36
6. “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” – Elisha in 2 Kings 6:17
7. “Save us, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God” – Hezekiah in 2 Kings 19:19
8. “O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those who delight in honoring you.” – Nehemiah in Neh. 1:11
9. “I know that You can do anything, and no one can stop You.” – Job in Job 42:2
10. “Search
me, O God, and know my heart; test me, and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of
everlasting.” – David in Psalm 139:23-24
11. “Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again!” – Jeremiah in Lamentations 5:21
12. “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay,” – Daniel in Daniel 9:19
13. “Spare Your people, O Lord.” – Joel in Joel 2:17
14. “In this our time of deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy.” – Habakkuk in Habakkuk 3:2
15. “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sing against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” – Jesus in Luke 22:42
16. “May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” – Jesus in John 17:20-23
17. “O Lord, hear their threats, and give us your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” – the disciples in Acts 4:29-30
18. “That the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored,” – Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:1 19. “May the Lord lead our hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.” – Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:5