If you stand near the edge of the Grand Canyon in the United States and bellow out a word or two, chances are, you’ll hear an echo. The noise you make will bounce off the canyon walls and back to your ears—maybe more than once. Experts say this is possible because the best echoes occur in quiet environments where sound travels at least 75 meters and hits multiple flat surfaces. Spanning between 4-18 miles across, abounding with walls, and typically quiet, the Grand Canyon is an ideal place to experiment with noise.
Like a canyon repeating a sound, our prayerlife can echo Scripture back to God, who originated it (2 Timothy 3:16). Prayers that include biblical truth and even phrases straight from God’s Word can propel our thoughts and feelings in the right direction.
King Hezekiah’s words echoed ideas from Scripture as he prayed for God to save him and His people from enemy attackers. With a nod to Exodus 25:22 and Genesis 1:1, Hezekiah glorified God by saying, “You are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! . . . You alone created the heavens and the earth” (2 Kings 19:15).
Hezekiah also prayed, “Rescue us . . . then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O LORD, are God” (2 Kings 19:19). The idea was that God’s good reputation would spread throughout the world as a result of a rescue. This same thought appeared previously when Joshua described how God saved the Israelites from the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Joshua 4:23-24).
Embedding Scripture in our prayers can help us have the right perspective on each situation we face. Combining our own words with God’s Word helps us to see how He may work and inspire us to see Him as He is—great, powerful, and able to rescue. Consider trying out the echo effect as you pray today.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Judges 7:1-25
More:
Look up Romans 8:26-27 to see how the Holy Spirit should be involved in our prayers.
Next:
How might praying God’s Word help with different types of prayer—praise, intercessory, or confession? Why does Matthew 6:7 warn against repeating the same words as we pray?
Roxanne Robbins on March 9, 2014 at 9:21 am
Thank you, Jennifer, for this post that came at a wonderful time for me as I seek guidance in areas of needed personal growth. I’m going to cling to the verse you included: 2 Timothy 3:16 …. (bears repeating 🙂 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
jennifer benson schuldt on March 9, 2014 at 7:13 pm
Hi Roxanne,
This past week, I’ve been clinging to Proverbs 3:5. It’s was my son’s weekly memory verse. We said it every morning on the way to school. It would be good to incorporate that verse into my prayer life…I can think of several areas in my life where I need to trust in God and discard my “own understanding”!
tgustafs on March 9, 2014 at 9:36 am
This is a great reminder for something that I struggle with — focus in my prayer life. You suggest some really sound ideas! Thanks!
jennifer benson schuldt on March 9, 2014 at 7:15 pm
Thanks Tim!
daisymarygoldr on March 22, 2014 at 4:55 pm
The principle is good but the picture is not 🙂 You see the echo effect is produced when noise bounces back after hitting the rocky surface. This means the sound wave is not absorbed.
Unlike the impenetrable canyon walls, our hearts are impregnated with God’s word. We don’t merely repeat God’s words back to Him. His Spirit gives us the utterance but we also pray His words with understanding.
This is not the same as the repetition of words mentioned in Matthew 6: 7. Jesus tells not to be pray like the heathen who keep repeating “their words” again and again. We repeat “His words”. Note the difference?
Using a portion of scripture in our petitions is not to make God hear and answer our prayer. As you rightly pointed out, it helps us have God’s perspective. When we use Bible verses in prayer, God’s word falling in our ears produces faith that drives away all fear.
Also, there are times when we are overwhelmed with circumstances that cannot be explained. In such perplexing moments, when we seek the Lord’s face in prayer, His Spirit reminds us of Bible passages that specifically address those problems. Praying God’s word renews our mind and enables us to evaluate each impossible situation with the Lord’s thought process.
When our thinking changes, there is no wrestling with why’s and what ifs. We are calmly surrendered to His will. As a result, right in the depth of tempests that threaten to drown us, we experience His peace that passes all understanding.
Prayer is to have conversations with God. When we communicate using the very words of our Heavenly father, we find ourselves in agreement with Him. This is why we conclude our prayers with an Amen. Get it?