I want to give you an example of praying Scripture. But first, let’s establish a ground rule of reading the Bible: It’s a principle of Bible study that you FIRST interpret the Bible by itself–in other words, accepting that the Bible is true and understanding what God is telling us about Himself, and about us. This is Bible study and the study of “systematic theology,” which is where we begin to understand the acts of God: Creation, the calling of the chosen people, the coming of Christ, the Resurrection and Ascension, the Church, and the Second Coming. Then, there is a secondary layer of reading, and that is reading the…

Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. She who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, Will return with songs of joy carrying sheaves with her. (Ps. 126:4-6) The passage starts in prayer. This is not a little prayer, it’s a request for a miracle to restore their fortunes “like streams in the Negev.” The Negev is an arid desert and the streams are miracles of life-giving. The streams and river transform the desert landscape into carpets of flowers in the springtime and life-giving irrigation and drinking water year round. Note too that the person is…

Verses 13 and 14 from Luke 2:8-20 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Now the flames on the hillside and in the sky grew clearer and they were granted true sight: what looked like fire was thousands of angels glowing with the light of God; the angel army told in Joshua, in 2 Kings, in Psalms – and now witnessed by the poor rough men. That great army praised God in never-ending chants of praise, in the Great Song that…