According to the Augustinian praying method I was blogging about a couple of days ago, there was this suggestion that I personalised Scripture text into prayers -- but being a student of theology and biblical interpretation, I was careful. But I feel that if it is done with care and understanding, it can be done to deepen our spiritual walk with God -- just as long as we know what we can personalise and what we can't (e.g. you may personalise psalms and certain sections of the epistles but not narratives).
Personalising Ephesians 3:14-19 here made it into a short but compact prayer to be uttered to God.
... I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant me to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith – that I, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that I may be filled with all the fullness of God.
And now I need to read up a commentary to fully understand that prayer ...
pearlie
I believe praying God's Word is having the mind of God as He is the one who gave that Word to us.
ReplyDeleteSusan
Good stuff. I have been thinking along the lines of integrating scripture into personal prayers, as well as some Jewish ones. I like the idea to the whole thing. But as you said "as long as we know what we can personalise and what we can't (e.g. you may personalise psalms and certain sections of the epistles but not narratives)." On this I agree.
ReplyDeleteTremonti,
ReplyDeleteThanks! -- and which Jewish ones are you referring to?
Susan,
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean but I would not have put it in the same way :) I find that having the mind of God would be beyond us. But I do get what you meant by it though -- it's the filling of our minds with the words of God, to enrich and complete us.