Though Scripture contains many written prayers, like those found in the book of Psalms, and many teachings on how to pray, like the parables and sermons in Jesus’s ministry, this reading plan focuses on the prayers offered to God in the narratives of Scripture. Each day we’ll read a narrative that includes a prayer from an individual or group. Their prayers vary in length, type, posture, purpose, and God’s response. The secondary passages explore how the rest of Scripture speaks to the themes demonstrated in the main reading.
While each account is different, every prayer recorded in Scripture teaches us about the unchanging God who invites us to speak to and hear from Him. These prayers model for us what it can look like to be in conversation with God. As you read, notice the posture and emotions present each day.
Reading Scripture together is the centerpiece of what we do at She Reads Truth. As we spend time as a community reading Prayers in Scripture together, we encourage you to start by reading the daily Scripture on your own. Then join us here to engage and encourage one another as we respond to what we’ve read in the comments.
The prayers this week have pointed us toward the God who listens, is compassionate, guides, remembers, and keeps His promises. Look back at the prayer requests of Shes around the world from Day 1. Let what you’ve learned about God shape your prayers for those who are reading alongside you.
“In all ways, acknowledge him and he will straight your path”- lean on God during uncertainties. He works everything out and surrender to his plan. Pain is redeemed into God’s plan for us.
Father thank you for the assurance that we can lean on you. I pray we will trust you in every circumstances
Reading through Proverbs 3:5-6 in light of the passages of Jesus in the garden, had me noting a huge WAIT. “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” also means that God paved the straight path for Jesus to the cross! Do I trust God even when my prayers feel unanswered and the direction ahead of me is not somewhere I entered into my navigation? Does it draw to mind what God is doing? I think I’ve overlooked too that in the garden while Jesus prayed, even though his prayer was unanswered, God still provided an angel which gave him strength. Notice here that after the angel came, Jesus was in great anguish- just because God equips us with strength doesn’t mean that we have to all of a sudden feel better about the pain we feel. I can reflect now in moments I didn’t “feel” God answered my prayers and I felt left in dark seasons. But I can also see that God equipped me with strength to move through those seasons and the fruits he grew in me along the way.
My Bible has a footnote for Heb. 5:7 that says, “The Father answered not by preventing the cross, but by raising Jesus from the dead.” Not gonna lie, it isn’t super comforting to realize God’s plan involves the cross at some point for His followers. It IS comforting to know there’s resurrection on the other side, though. Hoping to strengthen my faith in God even during cross moments.
In one of the podcasts they discussed how even when Jesus prayed, God didn’t always say yes. He won’t always say yes when we pray either, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t bring our requests to him, as often as they are on our hearts (Jesus prayed for the same thing three times). And when we pray that if it is his will, it doesn’t mean if we suffer that it is his will that we’re suffering. Yes, Jesus suffered and died. But God’s will was that he would glorify Him and conquer sin and death. He has a purpose for what we go through too, even if it’s something we prayed we would never have to go through.
As I was reading this I placed myself as one of the disciples as they watched everything play out. Father God it’s with gratitude that I am able to be here because of your Son Jesus Christ whom you sacrificed for me.
God uses all pain for the glory of his good and our good as well.
Lord Jesus, let us remember your sorrow and agony, let us remember your great love that you did the will of God anyways. When life gets hard for us, let us cling to your arms, for nothing could be harder than what you’ve done for us, and your power, love, sacrifice and resurrection are all we need. You are all we need. You have yourself to us. We could never pay you back nor would we be so prideful as to try. But we want to serve and worship you because you are worthy. May the peace of the gospel of Christ Jesus rule in our hearts, an unshakable foundation, and let the fruit of the Holy Spirit abound as we are the body of Christ in this dark and dreary world. In your name Lord, amen.