This spiritual discipline, intended to draw believers closer to God, can sometimes devolve into a monotonous obligation, leaving many feeling disconnected and disheartened. This is a challenge that even pastors and long-time believers face, as they find their prayer lives marked by routine and repetition. Donald Whitney’s book, “Praying the Bible”, confronts this issue head-on, offering a refreshing solution that promises to rejuvenate prayer by intertwining it with Scripture.
The core issue, as Whitney identifies, is the stagnation that comes from repeating the same prayers about the same concerns, leading to boredom and frustration. His solution is as profound as it is simple: to pray through passages of Scripture, thereby injecting variety and depth into our conversations with God. This method ensures that prayer is both engaging and spiritually nourishing, as it aligns our thoughts and petitions with the Word of God.
Whitney’s approach involves reading a passage of Scripture and then praying in response to each line or thought it presents. This process keeps prayer dynamic and prevents the repetition that often leads to a lack of meaning. The psalms, with their rich expression of the human experience and emotion, serve as an ideal starting point. Whitney suggests a systematic exploration of the psalms, proposing that believers skim five psalms each day, selecting one that resonates with them for prayer. This method not only covers the entire Book of Psalms in a month but also demonstrates the relevance of these ancient songs to our contemporary lives.
Beyond the psalms, we can pray through other parts of Scripture, meaning this practice can be involved in all aspects of one’s prayer life. By engaging directly with the text of the Bible, we never need to look too far for topics for prayer. God’s word can spark thoughts of all kinds as we read with an open mind, and bring those thoughts to the Father in prayer. This way we can spend more time in prayer, and less time internally deliberating if we are praying about the “right” thing.
Remember, the goal is not interpreting scripture on a deeper theological level, but rather using Scripture as a springboard for dialogue with God. This freedom allows for a personal and responsive prayer life that is both faithful to the text and intimately connected to our personal experiences and emotions.
Sources: “Praying The Bible” by Donald S. Whitney, Gospel Coalition
