Learn to Pray by Studying Prayers
Prayer is one of the most referenced concepts in scripture.
Even at it’s most basic definition, talking to God, it is seen first in Genesis when Adam and Eve talked with God in the garden (Gen. 3:8-19) and then continues throughout nearly every event in scripture.
Knowing that God wants us to come to him - with our troubles as well as our praises and thanksgivings - growing your knowledge and confidence in prayer is a very good thing.
But where do you start?
You could do a word search in a concordance for the word “pray*” to get all the verses that have any form of pray, prayed, prayer, prayers, praying, etc.. Then go one by one, read the context, write out the prayer mentioned, and look for other instances where prayer was used/applied in the same way.
You could also just start at the very beginning (Am I the only person who hears Julie Andrews every time those words are said?) by watching for references to people in scripture communicating with God.
You could also use forms or tools to help you draw connections between the scriptures you read about prayer.
In a time where I was trying to retrain my brain to process information, I made use of a tool called a Prayer Study Builder to help me make connections when I was reading anything related to prayer.
This form provides a place for writing out the text being studied, a place to write my own prayer alongside of it, and places to note scriptures that go along with the one(s) I’m studying. To make the information “useable”, there are four questions (based on 1 Timothy 2:1) at the bottom of the page -
How can I use this scripture to make supplication or entreaty for others or myself?
How can I use this scripture to make intercessions or petitions for others or myself?
How can I use this scripture to offer thanksgiving to God?
How can I use this scripture to tell God what is on my heart and praise Him?
Going through this process allows you to become more familiar with God’s word while also learning how to speak the language of scripture when you pray. Both of which help you to achieve Hebrews 4:16,
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
While all of those examples in scripture are great for growing our faith - they ALSO help us to see how God has truly given us “everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3) by seeing how God’s will works in the lives of those people (or doesn’t work for those who turn away from it).
So, if you find yourself thinking, “how can I do better about praying to God"? Take a hint from the disciples and look to God for the answers. In Luke 11:1 we see them ask Jesus to teach them tp pray after they observe him offering prayers to the Lord. With God having preserved these events for our learning (Rom. 15:4), we can get the same teaching the disciples did!
Choose a prayer, Hannah’s in 1 Samuel 1, any of the Psalms, Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9, Jesus’ prayer in John 17 - there are so many to choose!
Read the prayer.
Write the prayer out.
Notice key phrases, the context of when it was said, the environment where it was said, and any information provided about how it was received. All of these give you cues to options for your own prayerful moments.
Ask yourself those questions, (you can find the basus for them in 1 Timothy 2:1) and stop to MEDITATE about how the words God used to teach you about someone else’s prayer can guide you in expressing yourself in prayer to God. Real people prayed those prayers. You CAN do the same.
All you have to do is get started.
If you’d like to try out the Prayer Study Builder for your own study, check out the information below.
Happy studying!
If you will click this link - Prayer Study Builder - it will take you to a PDF you can
download. You can find instructions for how to use it here - Prayer Study Builder Instructions- if you like to print or save the PDF.
The Prayer Study Builder is meant for taking scriptures that contain prayers to
study them. After learning what the prayer teaches us by example or content -
you then write your own prayer in a similar fashion.
You can also watch this video - How to Use Study Builders (about 5 minutes) to get an idea of how to use the different parts of the form.
The book mentioned in the video is “To Be a Handmaid of the Lord”, which can be purchased on Amazon.