Let It Be Unto Me According to Your Word
I like to pray God’s Word because God’s promises are bigger than our best prayers.
He is able to do “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think….” (Eph. 3:20)
We can’t think up prayer requests that are nearly as wondrous as what He already has in His heart toward us!
I think of the humble, Nazarene peasant girl who was visited by an archangel. Mary trembled under the glory of the announcement that she had found favor with God, would conceive a son supernaturally, and that He would reign forever. She asked Gabriel how it would happen, and he explained that the power of the Most High would overshadow her.
Mary thought about it for a moment and uttered one of the boldest prayers imaginable: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
“Let it be unto me according to your Word.” Let your great and precious promises come to pass in my life.
She didn’t necessarily understand the scope of the blessing that was coming, and she certainly didn’t understand why she had been chosen, but she said, “let it be to me according to your word.”
It’s a powerful way to pray. Look at any promise in God’s Word—event the grandest promises, and pray: Lord, this is your Word. This is your promise. I probably couldn’t have dreamed up such a great request, but since you’ve promised it, let it be unto me according to your Word.
Any promise of God can become a prayer when you come into agreement with God as Mary did. For example,
Lord, I am feeling lonely, but you promised to never leave me or forsake me… let it be according to your Word.
Lord, the doctor’s report wasn’t good, but you have assured that all things are possible to you, and you have shown yourself to be a Healer, and have told me that it is by the stripes of Jesus that I am healed … let it be unto me according to your Word.
Lord, you have said if I resist the devil, he’ll eventually flee. You assured that you came to set the captives free. So, in this hour of spiritual battle and temptation, let it be unto me according to your Word.
David prayed in this manner when God gave the anointed king a breathtaking promise.
The Lord came to King David and issued an unsolicited promise that someone from David’s lineage would reign forever: “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever.” (2 Sam. 7:16)
David listened to all the promises of God and sat down before the Lord in utter humility, saying “Who am I, O Lord God, … that you have brought me thus far?” (2 Sam.7 :18). He recounted his unworthiness and the Lord’s greatness and then made his bold prayer:
“And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.” 2 Samuel 7:28–29 (ESV)
In other words, David said, “I don’t deserve it. I can’t say I earned it. And I probably would never have asked for such an astonishing thing as this, but, Lord, since you brought it up, let it be just like you’ve said.”
Conclusion
Effective prayer is spiritual—it doesn’t originate in our sinful flesh’s desires or even in our minds as we try to think of what to ask of God. Powerful prayer is Spirit-filled, moved by something deeper than our own passions or thoughts. When Paul says to “pray in the spirit at all times”, I think he means, don’t ever bring petition and intercession to the throne of God’s grace that isn’t linked to the work of the Spirit. There is nothing more Spirit-infused in this world than the inspired Word of God. As you learn to pray the Word, you are discovering the power of praying in the Spirit! Everyone can pray God’s Word, so every Christian can pray with spiritual power!
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