Praying the Word

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Reading Text – 1 John 5:4-8

In John 17, we see Jesus praying to the Father.  This passage reminds us that Jesus asks that the disciples not be taken out of the world but kept from the evil one.  Then, we see John write in 1 John 5:4-5, “Whoever is born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”  

As we remember that we are in the world, we also realize that by our faith in Christ, we overcome the world and have victory through our faith.

But what gives us the power to believe that what is done in the heavenly realm is available as we physically reside in this world?

1 John 5:6-8 is the answer.  “This is He who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ, not only by water but by water and blood.  And it is the Spirit who bears witness because the Spirit is Truth.  For there are three that bear witness in heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one.  And there are three that bear witness on earth; the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.”  

Do you see the common denominator in the witness for heaven and earth?  The Holy Spirit bears witness in heaven and on earth to reveal the Kingdom of God to us as believers in Christ.  Wow!  The first time I saw this, I realized how important it is that the Holy Spirit lives inside of us to empower us to walk in faith for what is going on in heaven, to be released on the earth so that we can be overcomers who demonstrate the victory of Christ.  

This is why we must pray the word of God.  Romans 10:17 tells us, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  We just read that it is our faith that has overcome the world.  If that is the case, we need to be saturated with the word of God.  But let’s take it to the next level.  I encourage you to use your mouth to declare the word of God.  In this way, you are engaging your eyes as you read the word, your mouth as you say the word and your ears as you hear the word.  If you hold your bible or electronic device, you also engage your sense of touch.  This makes reading the word of God a comprehensive experience.  

I want to encourage you to pray the word over your life, family, friends and those you are in a relationship with.  Let’s look at Ephesians1:17-23.  This is how I pray that passage:

Father of glory, I pray that you would give me, Susan, David and his family, Meredith and her family, the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of you, that the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened to know the hope of Your calling for each of our lives, the riches of the glory of Your inheritance for each one of us as Your saints and that we would each know the exceeding greatness of Your power to us, as we believe You, according to the working of Your mighty power which worked in Christ when You raised Him from the dead and seated Him in heavenly places, far above all principality and power that is named not only in this age, but in the age to come.  And You, Father, put all things under Christ’s feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church (of which we are a part) which His body, the fullness of Him fills all in all.  Thank you, Father, that you fill us up with that fullness that we can be your demonstration of love on the earth.  Amen.

I encourage you to pray this prayer with your name and your family’s names.  This is the way we learn to pray the Word of God.  

Other passages I like to pray:

Ephesians 3:14-20
Psalm 103:1-5
Psalm 107

The Bible is full of prayers to pray for yourself and your family.  God already knows what we need before we ask, so praying the prayers He put in the bible will be a 100% answered prayer success rate!

God bless you, and I pray He opens your eyes to prayers from His word you can pray.