Do you feel that you cannot pray because you run out of things to say? One of the most practical ways to solve this problem is to combine Biblical meditation with prayer. Here are some practical steps to do this:
- Write down a prayer list of people or needs for which you need to pray. You might use the church directory or a list of our missionaries.
- Make your preparations to pray by following the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 6:6. Plan a time to pray. Find a private place to pray. Don’t get so caught up in the preparations that you fail to pray! Make your prayer your personal appeal to your Heavenly Father. Pray with patience and perseverance, knowing that your Heavenly Father will reward you for doing so.
- Pray the prayer of Psalm 119:18, “Open Thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy Law.”
- Then, read through a passage of Scripture in a slow, deliberative manner. As you do, notice what is pleasing to God. Look for a way to exalt His name or search for a promise to claim. Find a sin to confess or an example to follow. When you find a striking phrase that captures your attention, stop to think about it. Meditate (concentrate) on it. You may find more than one such verse. Each one can become powerful fuel for faithful prayer.
- Then, with your Bible open and your eyes open, begin to pray, concentrating on a verse you have just read.
- Begin to pray for the first person on your prayer list using that striking verse or phrase.
- Be prepared to understand a new aspect of that verse as you apply it, and continue to pray for others on your list.
- When you are ready to do so, use another verse from that passage you pondered. Remember that God is glorified as you show such concern for His Word that you would pray it back to Him. This results in a wonderful time of fellowship and conversation with the Lord.
- Don’t be surprised at how quickly the time passes when you use this method. Once you have that verse in mind, you can pray during your daily commute, while running errands, or doing household chores.
- In each case, you will find what you carefully pondered becomes powerful fuel for faithful prayer.
Pastor Gordon Dickson, Calvary Baptist Church, Findlay, Ohio
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