By Linda Evans Shepherd
A surprising number of people are afraid to pray. They love God, but when it comes to talking to him, they freeze.
They worry about praying “wrong,” stepping outside his will, or somehow offending him—as though God is scoring their performance.
Out of fear, they offer him something he never asked for: prayerlessness. But prayerlessness is its own kind of silent treatment. We were designed for connection with God, created to walk with him and lean into his presence.
When we sit on our hands instead of lifting them in prayer, our souls grow quiet in all the wrong ways. The truth is, God delights when we seek him. Prayer isn’t a test; it’s a relationship. It’s how we reach toward him—and how he reaches back with comfort and grace.
The Breakthrough of Praying Scripture
One of the greatest breakthroughs of my spiritual life came when I discovered the power of praying God’s Word.
Scripture is aligned with his will and full of his presence. When we pray his Word, we pray in agreement with his heart and leave fear behind. But I didn’t start out confident. As a young mom, I loved God, yet didn’t know how to talk with him or recognize his whispers. Prayer felt awkward, like leaving messages on heaven’s answering machine. One day, desperate for help, I opened my Bible and decided to pray the Scripture back to God.
The moment I began, something unexpected happened: God’s living voice in his Word blended with my shaky voice—like stepping onto ice. I waited to slip, but I didn’t. Praying the Word became a steady place beneath my feet. My timid prayers gained traction, and God responded—sometimes with reassurance, sometimes with direction, and often in loving, surprising ways.
One of those moments came last summer. A gondola hit me at a Colorado ski resort, and the first scan showed three crushed ribs. The next morning, in terrible pain, I prayed God’s Word: “By Your stripes I was healed.” By that afternoon’s follow-up X-ray, only one minor crack remained—and my pain dissolved.
The more I prayed Scripture, the more I realized God wasn’t asking me to be eloquent—he was inviting me to trust him. His Word became both my anchor and doorway into deeper conversation. Praying Scripture didn’t just change my prayers. It changed me.
Five Scripture Prayers That Can Shift Your Day
Here are five Scriptures (NLT) with short, Scripture-echoing prayers to help you step into the beauty of praying God’s Word:
1. Anxiety—Philippians 4:6–7
Verse: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything … Then you will experience God’s peace.”
Prayer: Lord, You tell me not to worry but to bring everything to you. I place every anxious thought in your hands. As you promised, let your peace guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
2. Financial Provision—Philippians 4:19
Verse: “And this same God … will supply all your needs.”
Prayer: Father, you said you would supply all my needs through Christ. I trust your promise today. Provide in the way only you can, and let my heart rest in your care.
3. Healing—Psalm 30:2
Verse: “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.”
Prayer: Lord, as your Word declares, when I call to you for help, you bring healing. Restore my health and strengthen me according to your promise.
4. Peace—John 14:27
Verse: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.”
Prayer: Jesus, you said you have given me your peace. I receive that gift now. Let your calming presence settle over my mind and heart.
5. Breakthrough—Isaiah 45:2
Verse: “I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.”
Prayer: Lord, you declare that you go before me to smash down barriers. Do that now—open the way, cut through every obstacle, and lead me forward by your power.
If you feel unsure of how to pray, begin here:
Take one Scripture a day and pray it back to God.
Let his Word become your words. Over the next week, watch what emerges—peace, clarity, boldness, and a growing awareness that God has been waiting to speak into your heart all along. Prayer isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection. And praying God’s Word opens the conversation.
Linda Evans Shepherd is the CEO of Right to the Heart Ministries, home of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA). She is the author of Praying the Word: 90 Scripture-Powered Prayers to Calm an Anxious Heart from Christian Arts Publishers. Learn more at www. GotToPray.com.
