Recently as I led a Prayer Summit for World Venture, a Denver-based global missions organization, I was again reminded of the deep need people have to learn how to pray in a practical way.  Missions executives, pastors, and missionaries from Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Albania, Ukraine, and dozens of other nations gathered for two days of unscripted, Scripture-fed, Spirit-led prayer.  Because God is always faithful and creative, the experience was profound.  Dozens of these leaders came to me afterward, grateful for the tools they gained for experiencing prayer at a new level.

By conviction and experience I have concluded that the most creative and effective prayers spring from the inexhaustible treasury of the Word of God. Thousands of times I have watched the Bible expose hearts, guide language, unite diverse interests, and create indescribably powerful moments of remarkable prayer impact. There is nothing more thrilling than watching a diverse group of Christians brought into unity and transformation as eyes and hearts are opened to pray from the Scriptures.

Eugene Peterson said it well, "Prayer is language used to respond to the most that has been said to us with the potential for saying all that is in us… Prayer is dangerous…it moves our language into potencies we are unaccustomed to and unprepared for… We restore prayer to its context in God's word. Prayer is not something we think up to get God's attention or enlist his favor. Prayer is answering speech. The first word is God's word. Prayer is a human word and is never the first word, never the primary word, never the initiating and shaping word simply because we are never first; never primary…the first word everywhere and always is God's word to us, not ours to him."  (Working the Angles, Eerdman Press)

Peterson's insights remind me of a lesson I've learned over the years about the value of letting the Bible shape the vocabulary of prayer. It's sad, but somewhat humorous, to observe what happens in a prayer time that is based in stale human vocabulary rather than the fresh foundation of God's Word.

Have you been to one of those prayer times where some verbose participant blurts out a protracted prayer-speech using some cheap imitation of King James English dialect? They even sometimes change the tone of their voice to sound more holy.

After ten minutes of this oratory, the dear brother finally concludes. What usually follows is unresponsive silence. The prayer meeting is dead on arrival. Most people are thinking, "Wow – how can I follow a prayer like that? I just talk like a normal person. Will God hear my simple prayer after that masterpiece?" Someone else may be wondering, "What in the world did that guy just say? How do I pray in agreement with that jumble? I didn't understand half of what he prayed."

Finding our language in the Scripture through focused and measured prayers allows everyone to discover an entry point. The Bible provides handles for mature saints and struggling neophytes. It is a wonderful thing to observe this dynamic. This is at the heart of teaching people how to truly pray.

One of the women attending this recent summit pulled me aside to comment on her experiences. She essentially said, "I never realized how simple but meaningful this kind of prayer can be.  My prayer life has been stagnated for many months but through this experience I gained practical tips on how to kick-start my prayer life with new energy.  The Spirit was really at work and I love learning how to pray straight from the Bible."

Jonathan Edwards wrote, "The Spirit who causes men to have greater regard for the Holy Scriptures and establishes them more in their truth and divine inspiration is certainly the Spirit of God… It is this word that God has given to be the great, standing rule for the direction of His church in all spiritual matters and for all concerns of their souls in all ages. A spirit of delusion will not incline persons to seek direction from the mouth of God." (The Spirit of Revival by Archie Parrish and R.C. Sproul)