Quote:
Originally Posted by OBW
I'm not sure that I would assert that the word of God was "designed to be prayed." It was designed to reveal God through its various forms. Among the various ways that you may be able to use and understand portions of it would include through prayer.
But the last time I read anything by the LSM that was trying to show others "pray reading" I was unable to conclude that any of them (or at least few of them) actually engaged in what the LRC had called pray-reading. I've heard scripture used in prayers in many ways, but outside of the LRC, I have not heard, or heard of such a practice that looks like their version of it.
What I recall from what I read was some descriptions of some notable people through history that made reference of some kind of prayer as they read the scripture. Virtually all of these were part of their personal study time. And I somehow recall only finding one or two that were even possibly found to have mixed the scripture in with their prayer, although the description I recall was still nothing like the deconstruction that was practiced in virtually every LRC endeavor that I had any knowledge of or participation in.
So they found "pray" or "prayer" within a reasonable proximity of the word "read" within a sentence that was talking about scripture and determined that their practice was thereby blessed.
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I would agree that the word was designed to reveal God but I would add that it reveals God's will as well. Jesus taught us to pray like this "Thy will be done". I wouldn't know God's will if it wasn't for his word.
Now you might not be so sure, but Hannah, Solomon, Moses, Joshua, and Daniel all prayed God's word to Him. And, Mary's praise in Luke could be considered a thanksgiving for answered prayer, in which case she clearly viewed the Bible verses as prayers designed to be prayed.
Hannah prayed in 1Samuel 2:1-10 and that, to my mind, is a Biblical example of praying the word of God back to God.
Solomon’s prayer, recorded in 2 Chronicles 6 is also, to my mind, a Biblical example of praying the word of God back to God.
Moses prayed to God in Numbers 14:17-19 saying “let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou has spoken, saying…” to which God responded in verse 20 “I have pardoned according to thy word”. Moses prayed God’s word to Him and God pardoned according to Moses’ word which was in fact God’s word spoken by Moses.
In Joshua 19:50 it says that Joshua prayed for a city to be given him “according to the word of the Lord” and “according to the word of the Lord they gave him the city which he asked”.
Daniel prayed the word in Jeremiah concerning the return of Israel back to God.
Mary’s praise beginning in Luke 1:46 could be a praise for answered prayer. The verses she quotes can easily be viewed as promises of God. We are instructed to remind God of His promises.
1Thess 3:1 tells us exactly what to pray for. Clearly, if you receive that word and pray according to Paul’s request it is fair to say that word was designed to be prayed.
Psalm 119:25 “quicken thou me according to they word” – yes this word of God is a prayer and I would say was designed to be prayed.
Psalm 119:28 “strengthen me according to thy word” – ditto
Psalm 119:49 “remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope”. Praying the promises of God back to God is a way of reminding God of these promises. Not only does the word teach us the promises of God but we are also instructed to remind God of these promises. Repeatedly the men of God prayed that God would “remember His word”.
119:58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word. Again, another word in the Bible that I would say was designed to be prayed.
119:89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. The Lord taught us to pray that God’s will would be done on Earth as it is in heaven. This verse says that God’s word is settled in heaven. God’s word reveals His will.
119:133 Order my steps in thy word: The Lord taught us to pray that God would forgive us as we also forgive others. Our actions and our living are intertwined with our prayer. But this verse tells us that our steps are ordered in the word. James says that the prayer of a Godly man is very effective. How can you be a Godly man apart from God’s word?
Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Clearly God spoke a word to accomplish something, that by definition, is His will. The Lord said that we are to pray “thy will be done”. Surely the Lord’s instruction is referring to this very thing. This is a promise, from God, that we should remind Him of. Yes, this word was designed to be prayed.
Jeremiah 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it. This is another example that the Lord’s will is revealed in His word.
29:10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. This word was prayed back to God by Daniel.
2:17 The LORD hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: This is a principle that is repeated over and over in the Bible. God will fulfill His word. Therefore it is a very powerful thing to remind God of His word and pray that He would fulfill it, even as Jesus taught us.
12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, The word of God has a burden. I believe that we join with the Lord’s burden in prayer, that is where we agree with God. That to me, is what the Lord instructed us to do when He taught us to pray.