Praying Scripture – From Hope to Reality
Psalm 119:9-16
“How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O Lord!
Teach me Your statutes.
With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.”
This was the first passage of scripture that I prayed over myself. At the time, not a shred of it was true of me or my life. I was a prodigal returned with a shattered heart and nowhere safe to put that heart except in the Father’s hands. I was in the process of learning who God really was, how to seek Him first, and what it meant to live out my faith.
I attended Bible Studies for the first time in my life. I heard about the power of praying scripture. This passage, Psalm 119:9-16, jumped out at me and I decided to try it. I desperately needed what this passage promised…a way to cleanse my ways. I prayed this over my life regularly and often and with my whole heart.
Now I can testify that God is faithful and true! Over a period of seven years filled with trials and tribulation, God answered my prayer. God Almighty made every bit of this scripture passage true in me and in my life. I thank the LORD for this beautiful work.
I took heed according to His word and He cleansed me. I seek Him now with my whole heart and He does not let me wander from His commandments. I hide His word in my heart, and He helps me not to sin against Him. Though I fail often, I regularly confess, and He is so good to faithfully forgive me.
I bless the Lord above all things, and He teaches me His statutes. With my lips I now declare the judgements of His mouth, and God gives me the opportunities to do so. He has emboldened me to speak by the Holy Spirit. I now rejoice in the way of His testimonies as much as in all riches. God provides and takes care of me. I now meditate on His precepts and contemplate His ways. I delight myself in His statutes and with God’s help, I will not forget His word.
As I write this, it has now been ten years since God started this work in my life. He has been faithful to complete the good work He started. I have learned that praying scripture is indeed powerful and have prayed many scriptures over my life, my kid’s lives, and over others. I have seen God’s faithful hand at work.
I encourage you to open His Word and feast on it…live and breathe it. Let His living, active, and powerful Word work in your life and heart.
Do you want to see a change? Pray Scripture over your life. Do not give up. God is faithful and true and moves with power.
