Now that we have learned how to pray with reverence and confidence. Now comes the question: What should we pray?

The answer rightly sets our sights upon the Scriptures: The whole Word of God directs and inspires us in what we should pray. Praying in accordance with God’s will ought to be our supreme desire, and God’s will is revealed to us through His written Word. When we pray Scripture, we are praying God’s Word back to Him. Thus, prayer is not a discipline that stand opposite to or in isolation from the reading of Scripture; instead, prayer and Bible reading ought to flow seamlessly into one another. Our Bible reading ought to shape our prayers, and our prayers ought to move us into reading the Bible.

Of course, Scripture gives us specific prayers to learn from. There is Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer in John 17. There are the prayers of Paul in his letters, such as Ephesians 3 below. In the Old Testament, we have Daniel’s prayer for the restoration of his people, Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple, Elijah’s prayer on Mount Carmel, Jacob’s prayer for protection before meeting Esau, and so many more. All of these teach us how to pray.

And we also have the Psalms, which are both a hymnbook and a prayer book. They teach us how to pray from every emotion of the heart. When you’re angry, pray Psalm 137. When you’re thankful, pray Psalm 100. When you feel abandoned, pray Psalm 13. The Psalms give us permission to bring our whole selves, even our anger and confusion, before God

But while the Psalms and these texts give us prayers directly, the entire Word of God should shape how we pray.

For example, I have recently been using specific passages for prayer times throughout the day, which I have found beneficial to practice.

For many years, I have prayed the Lord’s Prayer at the beginning of the day, as soon as I get up (and we will discuss that marvelous prayer in the next question). But recently I have added Ephesians 6:10-20 at the end of that prayer. After praying the last petition of the Lord’s Prayer (“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”), Ephesians 6 is a natural text to pray through, asking the Lord to help me to stand firm in the finished work of Christ against the onslaught of the devil, the world, and my own flesh today.

Midday, around the time I usually confess the Apostles’ Creed in prayer, I have been praying through Proverbs 31:1-9, giving me a chance to reflect on whether I am being the godly and kingly man that God has called me to be.

In the evening, I pray through the Ten Commandments, repenting of sin from throughout the day. To this, I have added the Beatitudes, asking God to shape me into kind of blessed person Jesus describes.

These passages are not written as prayers, but they are wonderful texts to turn into prayers because, again, any text of Scripture can guide us into prayer. Indeed, the categories of Scripture’s profitability in 2 Timothy 3:16 provide great questions to lead into those prayers. Ask of any text: What is this teaching me? What is it rebuking and correcting me? How is it educating me into righteousness?

With those questions in mind, even a text like 1 Chronicles 1-9 can guide our prayers. When we read those lists of names, we may not know the people listed, but God does. He knows every person and every family under heaven. We can reflect on His faithfulness and knowledge toward all His people.

All Scripture is profitable to guide and direct our prayers. So, if you want to grow in prayer, the best guide is simply to open your Bible and start praying Scripture.