Praying Scripture – Luke 11:1 & Matthew 6:9-13

Title:‌‌Praying‌‌Scripture‌ ‌-‌‌Handout‌ ‌ Michael‌‌McNally,‌‌SBCC‌‌Aug‌‌14‌ ‌ Luke‌‌11:1,‌‌Matt‌‌6:9-13‌ ‌ ‌ 1)‌‌Introduction:‌‌What‌‌is‌‌Praying‌‌Scripture?‌ ‌ ● The‌‌Olympics‌‌inspire‌‌millions‌‌of‌‌people‌‌in‌‌sports,‌‌to‌‌quest‌‌after‌‌an‌‌ideal.‌‌All‌‌sports‌‌ involve‌‌sacrifice‌‌and‌‌practice.‌ ‌ ● Our‌‌spiritual‌‌life‌‌also‌‌involves‌‌sacrifice‌‌and‌‌practice,‌‌in‌‌pursuit‌‌of‌‌God-given‌‌high‌‌marks‌‌ and‌‌high‌‌ideals.‌ ‌ ● One‌‌form‌‌of‌‌practice‌‌is:‌ p ‌ raying‌‌scripture‌‌‌-‌‌praying‌‌it‌‌directly‌‌back‌‌to‌‌God,‌‌or‌‌using‌‌it‌‌as‌‌ a‌‌foundation‌‌to‌‌prompt‌‌and‌‌structure‌‌prayers.‌ ‌ ● Jesus‌‌gave‌‌us‌‌one‌‌model‌‌prayer,‌‌as‌‌in:‌‌Luke‌‌11:1,‌‌Matt‌‌6:9-13.‌ ‌ ● Jesus‌‌himself‌‌prayed‌‌scripture,‌‌on‌‌the‌‌cross‌‌as‌‌he‌‌was‌‌dying,‌‌Matt:46‌‌he‌‌cited‌‌Psalm‌‌ 22:1‌‌--‌‌a‌‌prophecy‌‌of‌‌himself,‌‌the‌‌ultimate‌‌Suffering‌‌Servant.‌‌See‌‌especially‌‌verses‌‌1,‌‌7,‌‌ 16,‌‌24,‌‌30-31;‌‌showing‌‌how‌‌God‌‌turned‌‌defeat‌‌into‌‌the‌‌ultimate‌‌victory‌‌over‌‌sing.‌ ‌ ‌ 2)‌‌Why‌‌practice‌‌Praying‌‌Scripture?‌ ‌ ● It‌‌gives‌‌us‌‌“training‌‌wheels”‌‌when‌‌learning‌‌to‌‌pray;‌‌a‌‌structure,‌‌thoughts,‌‌emotions,‌‌a‌‌ pattern‌‌to‌‌learn‌‌from‌‌and‌‌follow.‌ ‌ ● It‌‌keeps‌‌us‌‌out‌‌of‌‌repetitive‌‌ruts‌‌(“vain‌‌repetition”)‌‌as‌‌we‌‌rely‌‌on‌‌God’s‌‌not‌‌our‌‌resources.‌‌ Matt‌‌6:7.‌ ‌ ● Reminder:‌‌persistence‌‌in‌a ‌ uthentic‌p ‌ rayer‌‌is‌‌good,‌‌as‌‌in‌‌the‌‌parable‌‌of‌‌the‌‌persistent‌‌ widow.‌‌Luke‌‌18:1-8.‌‌ ‌ ● Praying‌‌scripture‌‌keeps‌‌your‌‌mind‌‌from‌‌wandering,‌‌giving‌‌structure,‌‌focus‌‌and‌‌direction‌‌ to‌‌prayers.‌ ‌ ● Praying‌‌scripture‌‌brings‌‌breadth‌‌to‌‌your‌‌prayers‌‌-‌‌a‌‌multitude‌‌of‌‌treasures‌‌in‌‌scripture.‌‌ Matt‌‌13:‌‌52‌ ‌ ○ Thanksgiving‌‌‌(what‌‌God‌‌has‌‌done).‌‌1‌‌Thessalonians‌‌5:16-18‌‌ ‌ ○ Worship‌‌‌(appreciation‌‌who‌‌God‌‌is)‌‌Revelation‌‌4:11,‌ ‌Psalm‌‌29:2‌‌ ‌ ○ Confession‌‌‌(admitting‌‌our‌‌sins‌‌and‌‌flaws‌‌before‌‌God)‌‌-‌‌Psalm‌‌51‌‌ ‌ ○ Supplication‌‌‌(making‌‌requests)‌ ‌ ○ Intercession‌‌‌(making‌‌requests‌‌for‌‌others‌ ‌ ○ Seeking‌‌God’s‌‌will‌i‌n‌‌Consecration‌‌(God’s‌‌will‌‌for‌‌us),‌‌in‌‌Judgement‌‌(God’s‌‌will‌‌ for‌‌the‌‌world.)‌‌You’ll‌‌find‌‌many‌‌psalms‌‌that‌‌call‌‌down‌‌the‌‌wrath‌‌of‌‌God‌‌on‌‌his‌‌ enemies:‌‌always‌‌read‌‌this‌‌through‌‌the‌‌lens‌‌of‌‌Jesus‌‌Christ,‌‌his‌‌grace‌‌and‌‌mercy‌‌ is‌‌freely‌‌given‌‌and‌‌will‌‌save‌‌sinners‌‌from‌‌wrath.‌ ‌ ● We‌‌encounter‌‌Jesus‌‌Christ‌‌through‌‌praying‌‌scripture.‌‌He‌‌is‌‌enthroned‌‌upon‌‌and‌‌inhabits‌‌ the‌‌praises‌‌of‌‌his‌‌people.‌‌Psalm‌‌22:3.‌‌The‌‌written‌‌word‌‌conveys‌‌the‌‌Living‌‌Word‌‌to‌‌our‌‌ minds.‌ ‌ ● We‌‌encounter‌‌the‌‌Holy‌‌Spirit‌‌through‌‌praying‌‌scripture.‌‌Scripture‌‌is‌‌Spirit-inspired‌‌(2‌‌Pet‌‌ 1:20-21),‌‌and‌‌God-breathed‌‌(2‌‌Tim‌‌3:16-17).‌‌The‌‌Holy‌‌Spirit‌‌joins‌‌with‌‌us‌‌in‌‌our‌‌prayers‌‌ (Rom‌‌8:26-27)‌‌--‌‌so‌‌praying‌‌scripture‌‌back‌‌to‌‌God‌‌is‌‌a‌‌supernatural‌‌circuit‌‌of‌‌holy‌‌power.‌ ‌ ● Praying‌‌scripture,‌‌lines‌‌up‌‌our‌‌will‌‌with‌‌the‌‌will‌‌of‌‌God.‌ ‌ ○ We‌‌avoid‌‌praying‌‌amiss‌‌(James‌‌4:3)‌ ‌ ● ○ We‌‌fill‌‌our‌‌minds‌‌with‌‌the‌‌words‌‌of‌‌Jesus‌‌Christ.‌‌(John‌‌15:7)‌ ‌ ○ We‌‌ask‌‌according‌‌to‌‌his‌‌will‌‌(1‌‌John‌‌5:14)‌ ‌ ○ We‌‌follow‌‌Jesus’s‌‌example‌‌of‌‌seeking‌‌God’s‌‌will‌‌in‌‌prayer‌‌(Luke‌‌22:42).‌ ‌ Praying‌‌scripture‌‌can‌‌enable‌‌bearing‌‌fruit‌ ‌ ○ Praying‌‌scripture‌‌directs‌‌the‌‌word‌‌of‌‌God‌‌back‌‌to‌‌Him.‌‌But‌‌the‌‌word‌‌of‌‌God‌‌does‌‌ not‌‌return‌‌to‌‌God‌‌void‌‌or‌‌empty‌‌-‌‌but‌‌accomplishes‌‌His‌‌purpose.‌‌Isaiah‌‌55:10-11.‌ ‌ ○ The‌‌word‌‌of‌‌God‌‌is‌‌meant‌‌to‌‌be‌‌alive,‌‌and‌‌flow‌‌out‌‌in‌‌prayer‌‌and‌‌action.‌‌James‌ 1:22-25.‌ ‌ ○ Jesus‌‌Christ’s‌‌work‌‌makes‌‌us‌‌righteous;‌‌therefore‌‌prayers‌‌in‌‌God’s‌‌will‌‌become‌‌ powerful‌‌and‌‌effective.‌‌James‌‌5:16‌ ‌ ‌ 3)‌‌Some‌‌practicalities‌‌of‌‌how‌‌do‌‌it:‌ ‌Addressing‌‌drawbacks,‌‌caveats‌‌and‌‌objections.‌ ‌ ● Some‌‌people‌‌feel‌‌prayers‌‌always‌‌have‌‌to‌‌be‌‌spontaneous‌‌and‌‌original,‌‌just‌‌from‌‌the‌‌ heart‌‌unprompted.‌‌But‌‌praying‌‌just‌‌from‌‌your‌‌heart‌‌and‌‌imagination‌‌is‌‌a‌‌limiting‌‌delusion.‌‌ God’s‌‌people‌‌have‌‌often‌‌prayed‌‌prompted‌‌by‌‌scriopture.‌‌Examples:‌‌Acts‌‌4:24-26,‌‌and‌‌ Jesus’s‌‌own‌‌dying‌‌prayer‌‌quoting‌‌Psalm‌‌22.‌ ‌ ● Pick‌‌appropriate‌‌passages;‌‌prayers‌‌like‌‌David’s‌‌in‌‌1‌‌Chron‌‌17:16-27,‌‌or‌‌many‌‌of‌‌the‌‌ Psalms‌‌which‌‌are‌‌prayers‌‌set‌‌to‌‌music‌‌(Psalm‌‌100‌‌is‌‌a‌‌great‌‌starting‌‌place.)‌ ‌ ● Read‌‌the‌‌surrounding‌‌passages‌‌and‌‌think‌‌of‌‌the‌‌context,‌‌so‌‌you‌‌don’t‌‌misinterpret‌‌and‌‌ pray‌‌based‌‌on‌‌erroneous‌‌assumptions.‌ ‌ ● Personalize‌‌the‌‌passage‌‌-‌‌find‌‌if‌‌your‌‌point‌‌of‌‌view‌‌fits‌‌one‌‌of‌‌the‌‌perspectives‌‌(for‌‌ example‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Prodigal‌‌Son‌‌-‌‌which‌‌of‌‌the‌‌characters‌‌fits‌‌your‌‌present‌‌life‌‌experience)‌ ‌ ● Recognize‌‌that‌‌your‌‌perspective‌‌differs‌‌from‌‌the‌‌original‌‌speaker.‌‌Don’t‌‌twist‌‌the‌‌ meaning.‌ ‌ ○ ‌2‌‌Peter‌‌1:20.‌‌We‌‌understand‌‌scripture‌‌as‌‌a‌‌body,‌‌with‌‌Christ-centered‌‌theology.‌ ‌ ○ Titus‌‌3:9‌‌-‌‌we‌‌don’t‌‌go‌‌out‌‌on‌‌a‌‌limb‌‌with‌‌speculation.‌ ‌ ● While‌‌sometimes‌‌a‌‌scripture‌‌touches‌‌you‌‌directly,‌‌often‌‌it's‌n ‌ ot‌‌about‌‌you‌‌-‌b ‌ ut‌‌ about‌‌God’s‌‌relation‌‌to‌‌all‌‌humanity,‌‌all‌‌history.‌‌Pray‌‌for‌‌all‌‌the‌‌pieces‌‌in‌‌His‌‌big‌‌ picture.‌ ‌ ‌ 4)‌‌Close‌‌by‌‌praying‌‌the‌‌Lord’s‌‌Prayer.‌ ‌ ● Recap:‌‌we‌‌look‌‌to‌‌scripture‌‌and‌‌see‌‌ideals,‌‌“spiritual‌‌Olympians”.‌‌We‌‌exercise‌‌and‌‌ practice,‌‌spiritually‌‌--‌‌and‌‌praying‌‌scripture‌‌is‌‌one‌‌valuable‌‌technique‌‌and‌‌tradition,‌‌ strengthening‌‌us‌‌to‌‌pursue‌‌God’s‌‌high‌‌mark.‌ ‌ ‘Our‌‌Father‌‌in‌‌heaven,‌ ‌ hallowed‌‌be‌‌your‌‌name,‌ ‌ your‌‌kingdom‌‌come,‌ ‌ your‌‌will‌‌be‌‌done,‌ ‌ ‌on‌‌earth‌‌as‌‌it‌‌is‌‌in‌‌heaven.‌ ‌ Give‌‌us‌‌today‌‌our‌‌daily‌‌bread.‌ ‌ And‌‌forgive‌‌us‌‌our‌‌debts,‌ ‌ ‌as‌‌we‌‌also‌‌have‌‌forgiven‌‌our‌‌debtors.‌ ‌ And‌‌lead‌‌us‌‌not‌‌into‌‌temptation,‌ ‌ ‌but‌‌deliver‌‌us‌‌from‌‌the‌‌evil‌‌one.‌ ‌