CoffeeSwirls

Praying the Bible

Coffeeswirls Weekly Bible - Week 23

A few weeks ago, I mentioned a plan to pray with the A.C.T.S. theme. To recap, that is to pray with Adoration, Confession, Thankfulness and Supplication. In reading "Desiring God" by John Piper, I came across the story of a man who would read his Bible and pause every so often to pray about what he had just read and then go on. I didn't really understand that at the time, but Pastor Host brought it up in our "Christianity 101" class this last Thursday. The concept was defined as praying the Bible to God. At first, this confused me.

I grew up with the impression that God wouldn't want to hear canned speeches or paraphrasing of His own words. How did this concept fit what I was hearing? Was I to pray, "Our Father, who art in Heaven, In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth?" I was a bit confused, so I asked for clarification. Pastor Host said that it's not just praying the scriptures back to God. It's reading and praying as you go. Let me explain a bit.

Friday, I went to the top of the parking garage across from where I work and opened by Bible to Ezekiel. Why Ezekiel? Why not? I began, and the setting was about thirty years into the time that Israel was captured by Babylon. I wasn't sure how to pray about the living creatures and the wheels, but I ended up praying anyway, thanking God for the wonders of Him that are beyond our understanding. I thanked Him that we cannot understand an infinite God with our finite minds.

In the next chapter, the Spirit raised Ezekiel to his feet. I thanked God, for when we are confronted with the holiness of God, we cannot stand, so He takes the initiative. He has raised many to be adopted sons and daughters and we will stand with Him on the last day. I think you see the pattern here, and I was starting to get the idea. Later on, God caused Ezekiel to be unable to speak until it was God's time and God's words. I prayed that I may also be tongue-tied if I am ever about to speak out in a way that is unpleasing to the Lord.

There were other examples in my reading of times I just stopped to pray. It was a very cool way to spend my lunch alone with God, and I learned that you can pray through much of the Bible with much more ease than I had thought. It was also more personal than I had assumed before. I encourage you to give it a try. To do this, you are better off making time for God than finding time, for if you look for a time to squeeze Him into your schedule, you're missing something special!