Day 11: How can I use bible passages to help me focus during my prayer time?
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. – John 15:1-8
John reminds us to remain with God because we can do anything apart from him. We can remain in him by knowing him more and one way to know him more is through his word.
Praying with scripture is using the biblical passages to form our conversation with God. You can pick a favorite passage or book and start with something familiar or use the book of Psalms.
There are different ways to use your Bible in your prayer time:
- You can personalize Scripture by putting your own name into a verse. For example, “Mary, my peace I leave with you … Mary, do not let your heart be troubled.” OR…
- Try writing out a prayer from the Bible, adapting it into your own words. OR…
- Write the words of Scripture into a poem, just using the key words.
Question to ponder:
- What does it mean when Jesus said that he is the vine and we are the branches?
Pray:
If you don’t have a favorite passage of scripture, try using the passage John 15:9-25.
