The Prayer is the Gift

The danger of Instagram’s algorithm on my life is probably something I should take more seriously; however, a year ago, the Lord used a reel from a complete stranger to captivate my attention and introduce me to Prayer Bibles. Kori Biller, posting on Instagram as Selahwaysisters, shared a video of herself making a Prayer Bible for a friend.  Her voiceover said, “When there isn’t anything I can do physically for them, this Prayer Bible has given me the opportunity to pour out in prayer, to comfort them in ways that only God can.”

I was intrigued by what I saw and curious because I had never heard of a Prayer Bible. As I searched Google and Instagram, I realized that although Prayer Bibles might look very different from one creator to the next, the intention was pretty much unified: to purposefully flag a Bible and create a tool to help you pray scripture back to the Lord in specific situations.  The idea of making a Prayer Bible for someone else intrigued me, but I didn’t immediately have a recipient in mind. Then, a week later, my husband was telling me about a colleague’s situation, and my heart broke for the pain and turmoil the family was experiencing.  I knew immediately there was nothing I could do for them except pray, and this realization reminded me of Kori Biller’s video.  With a recipient in mind, I was ready to gather my supplies and try out this practice of making a Prayer Bible.

Three months later, I had finished my first Prayer Bible and started two more.  At brunch with my Bible study leader, I shared how life-giving it had been to watch less Netflix and instead spend time after my husband and son were asleep working on my Prayer Bibles. I had brought one for her to see, and she knew right away that her sister, a non-believer, would be her recipient if she tried it out. She said, “But I don’t know what she would do with it. Probably, burn it.”

“The prayer is the gift,” I explained.

I don’t think in that moment that I fully realized the truth of that statement.  While a finished Prayer Bible is beautiful, the time spent in conversation with the Lord is the true gift that has made such a difference in my life. Prayer is a gift He initiated.  I love the Tim Keller quote from his book on prayer, “Prayer is a continuing a conversation that God has started through His Word and His grace, which eventually becomes a full encounter with him” (48).  Praying His Word back to Him gives me vocabulary, keeps my mind focused, makes it more about Him, and assures me I’m praying His will.  As I have sat highlighting verses, writing on page flags, and journaling prayers in response to scripture, I have experienced the joy of beholding Him and been transformed by resting and abiding in Him.

If you are reading this, you probably have habits around reading and studying your Bible, but do you have rhythms for praying your Bible? Making a Prayer Bible might be the tool you, or someone you love, needs to wield the sword of truth in your most challenging situations.