Berry College #5 – Stop Struggling to Pray: Let Scripture Become Your Prayer

How do you pray Scripture and turn the Bible into a living conversation with God? In this message, Gene Edwards uses Psalm 23 to demonstrate a simple but profound way of praying the Word, fellowshipping with Jesus Christ, and allowing Scripture to lead us beyond religious effort into a deeper experience of the Lord.

Beginning with the familiar words, “The Lord is my shepherd,” Gene explores Psalm 23 not merely as something to read or study, but as Scripture that can become prayer, worship, fellowship, and spiritual experience.

This message also explores a much larger vision of the Christian life. Gene speaks about Christ as the Alpha and Omega, God’s existence beyond space and time, our life in Christ, the indwelling life of Jesus, and the spiritual realm into which believers have been brought through Christ.

Rather than presenting Christianity primarily as an individual struggle to please God, Gene emphasizes the corporate nature of the Christian life. We need the Body of Christ. As believers learn to touch the Lord and share their experience of Christ with one another, Christian fellowship becomes something far deeper than attending meetings—it becomes a shared participation in the life of Jesus Christ.

In the practical portion of this message, Gene walks through Psalm 23 and shows how two believers can take the Scriptures and turn them into prayer together:

“The Lord is my shepherd…”
“He makes me lie down in green pastures…”
“He restores my soul…”
“Even though I walk through the valley…”
“You prepare a table before me…”
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…”

Instead of approaching prayer with the question, “What am I supposed to say?”, we can come to God with His own Word and allow Scripture to give expression to our fellowship with Him.

This teaching will especially encourage Christians who want to grow in:

• Praying Scripture and praying the Bible
• Understanding Psalm 23 more deeply
• Fellowship with Jesus Christ
• Experiencing the indwelling Christ
• Spiritual growth and Christian living
• Life in the Spirit
• Corporate Christian fellowship
• Knowing Christ beyond religious activity
• Learning to behold and experience the Lord

Gene’s challenge is wonderfully simple: come to Scripture with your spirit, turn God’s Word into prayer, and discover the riches of Christ that are already yours in Him.