Scripture Prayers

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16

Nearly thirteen years ago my prayer life went through a dramatic transformation. While attending a women's study of the book, Becoming a Woman of Prayer, I was awakened to the power of praying scripture. It is incredibly humbling and thrilling to know you can confidently pray God's will into any situation by praying His own words.

Over the years I have experienced lasting growth in this area. I have become confident in my prayers and I have seen the Lord use prayer to change me. When I seek out a psalm in distress, when I pray a proverb over our children's lives, when I speak God's own words of protection over our family, I am broken and overwhelmed by the amazing power of His word. I realize that He desires these truths to be realized in our lives. His intentions for us are far reaching and always filled with love. I often see my own error and can rightly confess my sin. He uses my times of desparation and fear, when I would most fervently pray, to change my heart and aline me correctly with His truth.

This week is a week of prayer for me. As my heart is hurting, I find myself coming to the Lord again, begging for His comfort, protection and healing. He has graciously shown me, through His word, more powerful and effective words of prayer for our family. I am planning to keep a journaled list here of the scripture prayers that the Lord gives as we work through this time of growth.

Thank you, Lord. May I continue to be changed for your purposes.

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June 14, 2010
Ephesians 1:15-19
"For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might..."
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June 15, 2010
Ephesians 3:14-21
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith ; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."
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July 16, 2010
Philippians 1:2-11
"Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God."
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August 13, 2010
Colossians 1:9-12
"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."