The Most Powerful Prayer We Can Pray When Studying God’s Word
Powerful Prayer
In my mind, there is no more powerful prayer we can pray for ourselves than Ephesians 1:17-19. When we prepare ourselves to study the Bible, prayer resides at the top of the “How-to Study God’s Word” list. As A Bible study teacher, I have learned the importance of prayer in helping me understand Scripture. Therefore, I believe that prayer is the first, basic step of going deeper into God’s word. When I am about to study the Bible, the first thing I do is ask God to give me understanding.
Let’s state the obvious. Prayer is how we communicate with God.
Simply speaking prayer means talking to God which is an essential and intentional element of our relationship with Him. When we pray, God gives us power in and over the circumstances of our life. Prayer is equally necessary for hearing from God when studying His Word.
Prayer Matters is one of my free Bible resources available on my website. Prayer Matters is Bible study with a printable bookmark with 10 Steps to draw close to God to help guide you in your daily prayer life. I hope you will take advantage of that free resource.
Our prayers cause things to happen and bring about change in our lives. However, I believe we can amplify the power of our prayers when we combine our prayers with what God says. I think of praying God’s Word like turning on the turbo boosters to an already running and working machine. As God’s women, we are combining the power of the Holy Spirit in us with the powerful and effective word of God. That dear Sister will cause things to happen!
Why Prayer Matters When Studying The Bible
When I approach God through His word, I want to grow in my wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of Him and I want to hear clearly what He wants to speak to me. This is why prayer matters so much. I don’t want to try and comprehend Scripture on my own, from my own resources. Let’s remember what Paul told his young protégé Timothy.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16
If we look to the original Greek language, we see the phrase “given by inspiration of God” actually means God-breathed. So, if I want to understand what Scripture says, I want the One who breathed the Scripture in the first place to lead me through His Word.
Over the years, I have taught through many books of the Bible, as well as, topical Bible studies. In teaching them, my common practice is to give the participants a Scripture prayer to pray throughout the course of the study.
When I taught my study, Colossians and The Cosmic Christ, the very first step of the daily Bible study was to pray the prayer Paul and Timothy prayed continually for the Colossian believers in Colossians 1:9-14. Participants personalize the prayer for themselves which elevates our prayers beyond the power of our words and kicks in the turbo boosters of Scripture.
“The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12
Changing The Power Level Of Our Prayers
As God’s women, not only do we want to know God’s word, but we also want to pray His word over our life and those we love. The reality is, our words have power. Therefore, our prayers have power. In truth, God’s word is living and powerful. Therefore, I submit to you that combining our prayers with God’s Word raises our effective prayers to the level of powerful prayers.
In relation to studying God’s word, there is probably nothing more important to me than God revealing Himself to me through my study. Which is why I believe there is no greater prayer we can pray than Ephesians 1:17-19 in preparation for studying the Bible. Paul prayed this specific prayer for the Christ-followers in Ephesus.
See how I converted Paul’s prayer into my personal prayer below.
Lord, I pray that You, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You, that the eyes of my understanding will be enlightened; that I may know what is the hope of Your calling, what are the glorious riches of Your inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of Your power toward me who believes, according to the working of Your mighty power, in Jesus name. Amen!
I want to encourage you to write Ephesians 1:17-19 on an index card and to write the personalized prayer on the opposite side. Keep that index card in your Bible to use as your prayer for your first step of reading and studying the Bible. When we get specific and intentional in our prayers and in our personal study of God’s Word, God reveals Himself to us in new ways.
