Have you ever read the stories of people in the Bible and felt disconnected from their stories?
I mean, a lot of them lived in tents, or walled cities. There were camels, robbers, and prophets running around the countryside. Their joys, struggles, and desires can seem far from our lives today.
The truth is, the fact that the life circumstances of people in the Bible are different from yours or mine doesn’t matter that much. It matters that their faith was in our one, true God. The people in Scripture were real people, with real problems, real doubts, and real decisions to be made.
We can learn a lot from the prayers of the heroes of our faith.
Heroes of the Faith
The thing I love about studying the prayers of God’s people in Scripture is that we get to see how God answers their pleas. It is so valuable for us to read their stories and remember that God really answers prayers. Sometimes his answers are quiet and simple, and sometimes they are amazing—like when he answers prayers for deliverance. When we see God respond to the people of the Bible, we are reminded that he hears us, too.
The eleventh chapter of Hebrews tells us about the people of the Old Testament, who trusted in God’s promise of the coming Savior–the Messiah. The chapter begins with an explanation of faith in Jesus:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3, ESV)
As Christians, we place our total trust in God. We believe in Jesus–God the Son, in God the Father, and in God the Holy Spirit. We trust that when we pray, God hears our prayers and he will answer us.
As humans, our faith sometimes needs a little bolstering. We need to remember we are not alone, and that God is with us. Hebrews chapter 11 describes a number of Bible heroes who trusted in God and in his promise of a coming Savior–even though life was hard.
The first two verses of Hebrews chapter 12 turn the story from the heroes of the faith in Scripture to our own faith journey. It says:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
God’s Kingdom is comprised of every believer from all time periods who has trusted in Jesus. They are our great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Reading about the faithful witnesses of the past, you and I can lay aside the weights and sins that cling to us.
We can turn from their examples and look to Jesus–our Savior–and run the race before us with endurance–no matter the circumstances.
People in the Bible Who Prayed
In just a few minutes each day, you can spend two months studying the prayers of people who prayed to God. You’ll learn about their circumstances–their pain, hope, and joy. You will read their actual prayers. Best of all, you will see how God answered each prayer–bolstering your own faith in the God who hears us.
As you study prayer in God’s Word for just a few minutes each day, you will consider how to apply what you have learned in Scripture to your own prayer life.
The devotional I wrote for you, 60 Scriptures You Can Pray, features the biblical stories of prayers from the people of God’s Word, including:
- Jesus
- Mary
- Paul
- Hannah
- Peter
- Rebekah
- David
- Anna
- Moses
- Hagar
- Solomon
- Esther
- Jonah
- Deborah
- Job
- Miriam
- Hezekiah
- Jairus
- Elisha
- Abraham
- Joel
- …and many more!
You can pray alongside the heroes of your faith! With 60 Scripture You Can Pray, you will spend 60 days studying–and praying–the prayers of the heroes of our faith in God’s Word. May your trust in the God who hears us continue to grow!
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60 Scriptures You Can Pray
The Bible is full of prayer that you can pray too!
How do you pray when you don’t know what to say? The Bible holds the answer.
God doesn’t expect us to pray without guidance. In fact, Scripture is full of examples of ordinary people approaching our extraordinary God in prayer.
Award-winning author Danika Cooley believes that praying God’s Word teaches us how to best communicate with our Lord:
“There are so many lessons we can learn from Scripture about how to approach God and what to expect when we do.”
Danika’s devotional 60 Scriptures You Can Pray covers eight types of prayer from the Bible, the expectations we should have when we pray, and the right heart attitude for prayer.
- Praise | We adore God for who he is.
- Thanksgiving | We thank God for all he has done.
- Confession | We admit our sin to the God who saves us.
- Supplication | We humbly ask God to provide for our needs.
- Intercession | We ask God to meet the needs of others.
- Deliverance | We cry out to God for help in times of trouble.
- Lament | We bring our sorrow to God, our comforter.
- Guidance | We ask for God’s help in determining his will for our lives.
When you read 60 Scriptures You Can Pray, you will:
- Develop a habit of praying daily over a two-month period
- Learn more about prayer in Scripture
- Understand eight different types of prayer
- Expand your understanding of how to pray biblically
- Become better acquainted with God, His Word, and why we pray
Packed with thoughtful explanations of biblical prayer and practical application in each devotion, 60 Scriptures You Can Pray is the tool you need to learn more about prayer–straight from God’s Word.
Want to equip the women in your church to pray biblically?
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