The Puritans had a saying that went something like this: “Pray God’s handwriting back to Him.” That’s good advice for when we pray the Scriptures we can be sure that our prayer are in accordance with God’s character and will, not just random ramblings from our finite minds. Below is the prayer I (Joey) prayed in our service yesterday based on Ephesians 1:3-14:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm. You chose us in Christ before the ground of the world was laid to be holy and blameless before you; In your love you determined in advance to adoption us as your sons and daughters through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of your will, to the praise of your glorious grace.
Grace which you gave us in your Beloved Son through whose blood we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of Your glorious grace which you poured out on us in abundance. In all wisdom and insight you made known to us the mystery of your will, according to your holy counsel, which you settled beforehand in Christ, in whom you will unite all things, thing in heaven and on earth.
In Jesus we obtained an inheritance, having been predestined to the purpose of the one who works out everything in accord with the counsel of his will, so that we would be a praise of his glorious grace! We who were the first to hope in Christ, when we believed in the gospel of our salvation, have been sealed in Christ with the promised Holy Spirit; who is the down payment on what we will inherit when God redeems his own people to the praise of his glory!
We give you praise Father for you are the grand architect and designer of our creation and redemption. We give you praise Jesus for you are the agent of our creation and redemption. We give you praise Holy Spirit as you apply the work of creation and redemption to our hearts that we might know, praise, enjoy, and delight in Jesus the Christ.
When you don’t know what to pray, pray God’s Word back to him!