Psalm Writing II: Writing Out Prayers
"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." ~ 1 John 5:13 NASB
How do I praise You in the gifts I’ve been given? How do I worship You deeper in my mind?
I shall use my hand to write all my thoughts, for it is in them that I share Your image.
Welcome back to the Disciple’s Prayers: Psalm Writing Workshop!
Our Focus today is writing out our prayers…
“I had many things to write to you, but I do not want to write to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face.” ~ 3 John 1:13-14 NASB
“I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write.” ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:17 NASB
You may be wondering why I chose these three scripture verses. After all, there is no commandment nor a recommendation found throughout the Bible that says you should write out your prayers.
The two verses in 3 John imply that John sought to be face-to-face with his brothers and sisters rather than writing to them. If we follow John and Paul’s example, praying physically with other believers is better than writing our prayers to them.
However, writing letters during the 1st Century was how they were able to communicate over vast distances. And now we have technology that has spread across the globe, allowing us to hop on a call with someone miles away and pray over them that way.
But what does this have to do with writing psalms? Why does it sound like I’m trying to convince you not to write out your prayers?
In John 4:21-24, Jesus said to the woman at the well:
“Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
In this passage, Jesus is explaining how we are to worship. In spirit and truth. How might that translate over to the modern-day form of worship?
We have Holy sacraments, singing praise to God, and many other ways in which churches across the world worship. But we also know that Jesus taught us to pray to the Father in His name.
Let’s look at the Lord’s prayer:
“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’” ~ Matthew 6:9-13
In this prayer, we have the Father and Son present. We are praying to the Father, and it is through the Son that we receive this prayer. But we also know that God has a triune nature.
The Holy Spirit is directly involved in this prayer. The Holy Spirit is directly involved in every prayer!
God is spirit and truth, and when we choose to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is our advocate and helper, relaying our prayers directly to the Father.
And guess what! This also means that prayer is a form of worship, and in worship, we can grow in our capacity for it.
Prayer Practice:
When I first came to faith in Christ, every time I was asked to pray, I became nervous. I still question what to say!
I’m sure many of us have had this uncomfortable feeling of not having the right words, or feeling like our prayers are inadequate, to say the least. That someone of more eloquent vernacular should lead us in prayer.
God sees otherwise, and He’s sent me here to tell you that there is a way to turn your silent prayers into public declarations that you are unashamed by your faith in Christ!
Starting today, I am encouraging you to practice writing out a single prayer a day. It can be long paragraphs or just a single sentence. Pray for your family, friends, and church.
Write a letter to God! No one else will see it but you and Him. Use this time to detail the truth that dwells in your heart, mind, body, and soul.
If you are feeling up to it, open up your Bible and search the scriptures for the very things that challenge you, and write down these challenges so that they are plain as day.
There’s a reason why writing is so powerful, and God knows it. He uses it daily to reach all of us in the form of His Word!
Do what all the saints before us have done and write what God already knows is deep within your spirit. He will bless you in incredible ways!
Time for Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Your word, in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, says to pray without ceasing. In this, I ask Your Spirit to fill our vessels so that in all written text we send, we are spreading the Gospel of light. Your Kingdom be filled here on earth with written prayers of worship that any who might read will be transformed by Your Spirit and seek out Your truth that is the Word of God! I thank You for this call You have placed in me and thank You for the one reading this prayer, who is here to worship You in a new way they may have never attempted before. I ask, Lord, may You do an incredible work in their life, blessing them with Your Spirit in such a way that their prayers are amplified across Your heavenly kingdom, where all the angels will sing new psalms of praise!
In Jesus name,
Amen