Praying differently

I've been learning how to pray the Word lately.

As I come across passages in the bible the Holy Spirit will stir my heart to turn them into prayer for a specific person. Or I'll find out about a challenge someone is experiencing and look up scripture concerning that situation and pray from the specific scripture(s) as I feel led to for that person.

The bible illustrates for me in Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) that His Word is powerful:

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Then in Matthew 21:22 (NLT), when Jesus is teaching about having faith He says:

You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.


James cautions us in James 4:2-4 (MSG) that we don't get what we ask for from God because we are asking from our selfishness:

You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way. You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way.

I want my prayers to be effective. I want to live a life filled with faith. So, I figure if I spent time in the Word and let my prayers flow out of that, that this is a good method. I'm by no means saying this is the only way I'm praying, just that this is another, new way for me.

I found that book I mentioned in another entry, Bible Prayers for all your needs , among our stuff that has printed prayers from the Word and started reading and using some of those. As I read Dillow's book Calm my Anxious Heart I found where she speaks of doing this and even provided specific examples when sharing a story. Now I've started doing it for myself (For some examples: My Bible Prayers").

I'm grateful for the example of other Believers that I learn from, and hope that I can be a help in the same way to other people.