Maybe you’re in a season where you just don’t know where to begin.
Maybe you’ve never really prayed consistently much less read the Bible for yourself.
Perhaps you’re overcommitted and exhausted and time is an issue?
I hear you. I’ve been there with you. Let’s choose to get unstuck by praying scripture 5 minutes a day!
Meditating on Scripture 5 Minutes a Day to Refresh Your Soul
Beyond the spiritual benefits of praying scripture, there is also lots of research done on how prayer strengthens your emotional health. I will not go into that but you can look it up because there’s lots of research done on this topic.
This practice of praying & meditating on scripture will help you get started and reconnected to God. You can start with 5 minutes a day but as you make this one of your faith routines you’ll find yourself not even realizing you’re way past 5 minutes. You may also find yourself doing this throughout the day.
In order for this new routine to stick, I highly recommend you do it daily, at the same time, and connect it to a routine you already have set in place. So maybe after your brush your teeth, or during your morning exercise, while you eat breakfast or lunch. I love doing it when I’m out biking or walking but I’ve also done it on my stationary bike. You can place the verse in a place you can read it, take a picture. of it on your phone or listen to the passage on your bible app.
So let me explain. Meditating on Scripture is like savoring an amazing piece of dessert. You take your time to savor each bite. With each bite, your taste buds inhale the goodness.
In the same way, meditating on scripture is savoring God’s word. Tasting each bite of His truth and allowing it to settle into our hearts. It’s the complete opposite of rushing and stuffing your mouth. Distractions and rushing is the enemy’s tool to keep us from tasting and seeing God’s goodness. God speaks to us through His word so as we call to mind His Word we allow it to speak to the crevices of our soul. As we meditate on God’s word we inhale it as it does it work in the deepest parts of our hearts.
In prayer, we lean into what God is communicating to us through His Word. What He says to us then prompts us to pray to Him.
Prayer is simply talking to God.
Delight & Declare
I’m calling this praying & meditating on scripture practice–Delight & Declare. It’s sort of a cross between Martin Luther’s “simple prayer” and Lectio Divina which has been practiced for ages.
First, we start by delighting in His word. As I mentioned above God speaks to us through His word so it’s important that we get it into our hearts. We do that through delighting in His word as we intentionally read it without rushing through it.
In the process, you’ll be amazed how you’ll start memorizing scripture. The more I’ve prayed scripture for my children the more I find myself “accidentally” memorizing it. Sometimes I take one scripture a week and pray through the same one for all 3 of my kids and husband so before I know it I’ve memorized it.
Next, we spend time declaring His truth, His Goodness, and His Faithfulness. Keep reading below to see how this works.
I love how this practice takes you from a formal study of the Bible to connecting to God through His Word in prayer.
Delight & Declare Praying Scripture Practice
- Pick out a verse our passage to focus on. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see the wonderful things in his Word. (Psalm 119:18)
- Delight in His Word. Read the verse/passage. Read the passage with intention and not rushing as you read the passage and delight in His word.
- Declare His Goodness. Respond. Read the passage again and respond to God. What does it say about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit? Praise Him! Declare God’s goodness to Him as it comes to mind. What comforts you and challenges you about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit as you read the passage? Is the passage telling us what He has done? Thank Him!
Talk to God about these things. - Delight in His truth. Read the verse again and meditate on it. What is going on in the context of this verse? Is there a phrase or word that stood out to you as you read? Ask God to lead you to a deeper understanding as you pray this verse for yourself or others.
Talk to God about these things. - Declare Your Need. Pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is highlighting or asking you to surrender. Let the Spirit lead you to confession, not condemnation. There is a difference!
Is this passage prodding your heart to pray for others or yourself? Is it leading you to confess sin? The Holy Spirit keeps you from stumbling and Christ has presented you clothed in the righteousness so call out to Him.
Talk to God about these things. - Delight in His Presence. Contemplate & Yield. Sit quietly and become aware of God’s presence. Just be with your Heavenly Father. We yield to Him as we surrender our own will and declare our trust in His faithfulness.
You can use the “Delight & Declare Praying Scripture Practice” with various passages in the Bible but we must keep in mind that we are praying the meaning of the text not just words. So you have to read the context of that passage to catch the meaning. I like praying through books of the Bible. It might be helpful to start with a book like the Psalms or Ephesians.
Example of Delight & Declare Praying Scripture Practice
Here’s an example of how to use Delight & Declare to pray scripture using Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:37
Heavenly Father, I praise you, almighty God! You are powerful in heaven and here on earth. You have overcome the world. Thank you because I get to boldly say you are for us and not against us.
Lord, I delight in the truth that this is only through You! Sometimes I think this conquering is because of my strength, my plans, and my doing but you remind us it’s THROUGH Jesus! Jesus, you conquered death on the cross and removed our sin making us more than conquerors because you LOVED us.
Lord, I declare my need. I ask your forgiveness for my forgetful heart. Help me when I am weak and my wandering heart forgets your almighty power. In those moments when my mind is overwhelmed by the world around me, I pray that your Spirit would remind me of your truth.
I rest in Your lovingkindness. May this truth fill my heart today. Teach me to live loved. In your name, amen.
COMING SOON! Praying through the book of Romans!
At the beginning of October, I will walk you through Praying Romans using the Delight & Declare Praying Scripture method. So stay tuned to join us as we pray through various passages in Romans for ourselves, for our children, our family members, and the world around us.
Free PDF: Delight & Declare Praying Scripture Method
You can go here to download the FREE Delight and Declare Praying Scripture Practice.