Praying Scripture - A Short Example

 

It is recounted that the great 18th Century preacher, George Whitefield, fashioned his devotional reading time in a rigorous manner as a young believer. He would spend an hour on his knees pouring over the Greek New Testament, then read Matthew Henry's Commentary, and finally he would pray over every line and word of both the English translation and Greek New Testament "till the passage, in its essential message, has veritably become part of his own soul" (Arnold Dallimore, "George Whitfield," Vol. 1, pg 83). It's a milder form of this last part of Whitefield's early habit that has become something of my own practice, which I am sharing with you in brief.

As I read through the Psalms daily, I find them inviting me to follow Whitefield's fashion. Thus, to read Psalm 5 (you can pull it up here) one notices that it voices a treacherous situation going on in David's life. And so, here's how my prayer from Psalm 5 looks. See if it fits your situation:

O God, who does not delight in wickedness, and abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man; who hears our prayer in the morning and is abundant in steadfast love. Smile on my church (or my denomination, family, or a specific person) that we (he/she) will always take refuge in you, rejoice, and sing for joy! That we would always love your name and exult in you. Lead us in your righteousness because of our enemies, make your way straight before us that we may see clearly the way to take. And please, spread your protection over us, bless us, and cover us with favor as with a shield. For the honor of Christ we pray. Amen.

I hope this example gives you useful ideas. And that this prayer may be beneficial to some of you in tight and tense situations.

Mike