Driving Notes

Today, we continue sharing devotionals from the book Let’s Pray: Talking to God with the Words of the Bible, by Dr. James Banks, who serves as a pastor at Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina and is a regular writer for Our Daily Bread.

In this short book, we are reminded that the prayers of the Bible are an amazing gift from God and they have so much to teach us.

This is what Alex and Stephen Kendrick talk about in their book The Battle Plan for Prayer in the chapter called ‘Praying the Word.’ In the prayers of scripture, we find words that can help carry our thoughts and emotions to God. He invites us closer to him through the prayers of the Bible.

This week, we’re sharing prayers from the Word for everyday needs.

Dr. Banks reminds us that sometimes we run into heaven’s throne room with our list of needs.  Yes, Hebrews 4 encourages us to come boldly to the throne of grace, but sometimes we can be TOO bold!

As the angels surround the throne, hiding their faces in worship at the awesome wonder of God, we burst in without knocking, like an impatient child, making all of our wants and wishes known!

But still, even as we do this, we meet a Father who welcomes us in grace…and we can approach without fear, because He knows our daily needs and cares about them.  As we mature in our prayer life, we eventually find that our heart also matures, and starts to beat in rhythm with His heart!

Prayers about everyday needs help us gain perspective.  They are not only about things necessary in life, but also our need for a growing relationship with our heavenly father.  God wants us to seek HIM first (Matthew 6:33), then bring our everyday needs to Him with faith and expectation.

Our prayers from the word today start with Psalm 139, which helps us know that God is with us wherever we go. Psalm 139: 7-12 reminds us that we can never escape from his spirit and we can never escape from his presence:
⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

Today we’re also going to share some prayer starters. These are verses from The Book of Psalms that can help us start our prayers.

The first is, “please keep my needs in your thoughts,” inspired by Psalm 44:17…
But as for me, I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay.

The second prayer starter is from Psalm 65: you forgive my sins and bring me joy…

³ When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave^[a] our transgressions.
⁴ Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.

Thanks for listening!
– Hannah and Lilly