By Daniel Henderson

Over the last two decades I’ve known the power of praying and the incredible joy of leading scores of prayer experiences that we call “Prayer Summits.”  These are multi-day gatherings, usually away at some kind of retreat center, featuring unscripted, Scripture-fed, Spirit-led, worship-based prayer. (Some have suggested that we call them “Bible Summits” because of the centrality of God’s word in prompting and guiding most of the prayers.  Because God is always faithful and creative, and His word alive and active, these experiences are always profound.)

Power of Praying With Our Most Effective Prayers

By conviction and experience I have concluded that the most creative and fervent prayers spring from the inexhaustible treasury of the word of God.  Thousands of times I have watched the Bible expose hearts, guide language, unite diverse interests, and create powerful moments of remarkable prayer impact. There is nothing more thrilling than watching a diverse group of Christians brought into unity and transformation as eyes and hearts are opened to pray from the Scriptures.

Finding our language in Scripture, through focused and measured prayers, allows everyone to discover an entry point.  The Bible provides handles for mature saints and struggling neophytes.  It is a wonderful thing to observe this dynamic.  This is at the heart of teaching people how to truly pray.

Power of Praying in Proper Context

Eugene Peterson said it well, “Prayer is language used to respond to the most that has been said to us with the potential for saying all that is in us…. Prayer is dangerous…it moves our language into potencies we are unaccustomed to and unprepared for…. We restore prayer to its context in God’s word. Prayer is not something we think up to get God’s attention or enlist his favor. Prayer is answering speech. The first word is God’s word. Prayer is a human word and is never the first word, never the primary word, never the initiating and shaping word simply because we are never first; never primary…the first word everywhere and always is God’s word to us, not ours to him” (Working the Angles, Eerdman Press).

Peterson’s insights remind me of a lesson I’ve learned over the years about the value of letting the Bible shape the vocabulary of prayer.  It’s sad, but somewhat humorous, to observe what happens in a prayer time that is based in stale human vocabulary rather than the fresh foundation of God’s word.  Too often we just engage in a rapid-fire discharge of superficial thoughts, explaining to God all that we think He needs to do in order to structure the universe according to our specifications for a happy and comfortable life.  Once we run out of our instructions for the day, our prayer concludes with a thud.

Of course, it is important for us to share our hearts with God when we pray.  However, it is primary and essential that we allow Him to share His heart with us.  This happens as we pray, first and foremost, from His word.

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Source: Church Leaders