I.O.U.S. PRAYER
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water
—Psalm 63 (NKJV)
The people of God are called to be people of prayer. Colossians urges us to be “devoted to prayer,” (Col. 4.2 NRSV). We are told to pray without ceasing. With all that prayer, it’s no wonder that people ask “What should I pray about?” In Luke 11 the disciples come to Jesus and ask just that: “Lord, teach us to pray!”
Because of the importance of prayer, and the challenge it can sometimes be, people have worked to provide frameworks for our prayers—they’ve tried to teach us how to pray and what to say. Of course, the best example of this is the models Jesus gave us in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. In addition to those models, there are other helpful frameworks that can help us. Here is one that can be helpful as you come before the Word in study and meditation. This is not original to me, but I’ve picked it up somewhere along the way. Perhaps it can be helpful for you.
Incline my heart to you, not to prideful gain or any false motive. (Ps. 119:36)
That is, focus my attention and my affections on you & cut out all distractions..
Open my eyes to behold wonderful things in your Word. (Psalm 119:18)
That is, give me a love and understanding to the Word you have written for us.
Unite my heart to fear your name. (Psalm 86:11)
That is, give me a passion and hunger and reverence for your glorious name.
Satisfy me with you steadfast love. (Psalm 90:14)
That is, allow me to rest fully and only in your unending love and promises to us.
– Brad