It is a known fact that we Christians often do not know how to pray. Better worded, do not know how to frame our exact requests, needs.

That’s one of the many, many Ministries of the Holy Spirit. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us …” Romans 8:26

But it occurs to me that one way of praying exists that always gives us the right kind of prayer topics. And that is … praying Scripture, praying the very Word of God.

One example, and please note the underlined and capitalized verb …

“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, SAY, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” Luke 11:2-4, King James Version

Has Jesus here not instructed us (at least at times) to pray the very Words of the Bible? “When ye pray, say …!” I recall reading that the great Christian of the past named George Mueller, during his lifetime, read through the Bible over 200 times! On his knees! Praying Scripture as he read!

Personally, my prayer list is loaded with Bible Verses. Like Psalm 86:17, a favorite. “Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.”

The little Epistle of 3rd John (Verse 2) is another idea … “I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” I underline “be in health” every day, nearly every day. God is the great Physician, remember!

And what’s wrong with the old Jabez Prayer? God answered those requests according to 1 Chronicles 4:10. One single Verse in the middle of a long, detailed chronology, genealogy: “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”

Another possibility!

I even pray against the ultra-wicked of the world: “Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man.” A direct quote (Prayer) from Psalm 10:15. This simply asks the Lord to judge the ungodly, something He has already pledged to do anyway.

My point … turn the Bible you love and read into a prayer list. Surely this will keep you praying “in God’s Will.” Not any longer praying “My will be done!”

Another “guardrail” I use to keep my petitions in line is taken from Jude Verse 20: “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.” I hereby ask the Holy Spirit to motivate and guide (and curb when necessary) my prayers before Almighty God.

Maybe I have at least left you with a fertile idea!

PRAYING GOD’S WORD!

“Class is over!”

Now let’s all go “practice” what we may have learned.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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We have just come out of a week of Revival Services during which I preached every Sermon on the famous Bible Text often called “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Truth be told, in an almost inexplicable way, I FEEL REVIVED! And I am the evangelist! Truthfully, there is POWER in the Word of God as administered by the Holy Spirit of God!

I learned that the Lord’s Prayer is situated mid-way through the Sermon on the Mount. Yes, almost exactly half-way! Is our Lord patently teaching us that “central” to the Christian life is PRAYER, the spiritual discipline of praying?

I also learned that many Bible Teachers do not term Matthew 6:9-13 as “The Lord’s Prayer!” Rather, and perhaps more accurately, they term it “The Model Prayer.” Or some even, “The Disciples’ Prayer.” By any name or title, however, it is effective, inspired and applicable to life today!

In Luke’s account of the Prayer … our wrongdoings are called “sins.” While Matthew terms them “debts.” One possible reason for this difference (I believe even these minor “changes” are approved by the Holy Spirit! “All Scripture,” recall 2 Timothy 3:16.) “Debts” are things we have NOT paid. “Omissions” in our life. While sins are definitely things we have “done,” have “committed.” And there we have the two major categories of offenses against our great and loving God!

What?

Sins of “omission,” things I should have done, but did not! And then sins of “commission,” things I did which were best left undone!

Wow!

By the way, Luke relates the Prayer in his 11th Chapter, first paragraph. There Jesus is praying and once finished His Disciples ask for a “Lesson” in prayer! Hence “the Lord’s Prayer.”

While in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus is preaching, teaching when the Prayer is introduced! So, I deduce our Lord may have communicated the Prayer more than once in His earthly Ministry.

I am not sure that he Himself prayed it personally! (“Forgive us our sins?” HE HAD NONE! HE WAS SINLESS! But … He was extremely well aware of our sins! In fact, that is why He came to earth. To save old sinners!)

Enough said, written, I hope!

Enough to incite YOU to study this great (and short) Text of Scripture.

Let’s all join around the “Throne of Grace” right now and pray it …

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

Again I affirm, God answers Prayer!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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“The Book of the Twelve” is a Section of the Bible, at the end of the Old Testament, that’s little known! These Dozen Prophecies (they are all Prophets of God) are also called the “Minor Prophets!”

When all their chapters are totaled … 67 is the sum. Again, that’s for twelve Books of the Bible! And I suspect (probably for all of us) these are the least known, the least studied, of all the Books of Holy Scripture.

From the sad love story of Hosea and Gomer, to the saga of the country Preacher named Amos, to the questioning Habakkuk and the puzzling Jonah … what variety!

Yet every verse of the Collection is powerfully inspired of God and profitable for our spiritual growth! (“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16)

Recently I preached through the interesting (and often misunderstood) Book of Jonah, only 48 Verses, in a Revival Meeting, five Services.

Then this week it’s been the Book of Habakkuk! My Bible Text, for a whole Revival!

Wow, am I learning to appreciate these small Books of the Bible!

And that’s my challenge to you today. Take a little time and read (or re-read) the Minor Prophets! Acquaint yourself with their lives and ministries.

From Zechariah’s Apocalypse to Malachi’s rebuttal of the false priests of his day … you will learn tons of Truth. Nuggets of information to help you live more faithfully for our Lord.

And if you accept my charge, let me know which Book was your favorite. Or from which you learned the most. Or which was the most convicting to your heart.

You don’t even have to read them in order! Let the Lord lead you. Perhaps pick the one with which you feel the most “ignorant!” (There’s not a bad place to begin!)

Our Website here has always been dedicated to promoting the study of the Bible. May God use this Lesson to do the same …

Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Certainly Paul is one of the greatest Christians who ever lived. His godly life alone assures that fact. But he was also a great theologian, a genius in many ways!

But this too … Paul was a people-person!

He loved people, individuals I mean! (So did Jesus his Saviour as well.)

Some examples …

Paul closes his Epistle to the Colossians by naming 11 people, if I have counted correctly!

In 2 Timothy, after penning that great Text about the Inspiration of the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17) … he names 18 Brothers or Sisters in Christ!

And in the last Chapter of Romans … Paul outdoes even himself by naming 35 folks, fellow Believers!

What’s my point?

God loves people (the whole world, in fact) but He is never too busy for one single inhabitant of planet earth!

God loves even you!

And me!

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:1-2

Let’s be like our great leaders and our great God … let’s go out tomorrow and love somebody. Tell them about Jesus! Furthermore, say a good word to encourage someone at Church Sunday!

Even the quietest (most introverted) saint alive can be, with the prompting of the Holy Spirit, a people-person too!

In John 13:35 Jesus teaches us: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Baagwell

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Yes, Galatians has 149 Verses. Ephesians has 155. Philippians gives us 104 Verses, and Colossians is even shorter, 95 Verses. (Little Philemon, also by Paul, has only 25 Verses!)

But in the Old Testament, near the very “center” in fact, is a Giant of a Chapter! The longest in all the Bible! As you likely know, it is Psalm 119.

And here’s the beautiful thing, the longest Chapter in Scripture is about Scripture. It gloriously magnifies THE WORD OF GOD!

The Holy Spirit has divided Psalm 119 into twenty-two (22) clearly marked Paragraphs. These Divisions, Sections are based on the Hebrew alphabet, in fact! Think of the Skill in writing like that, what a Composer He is!

Spurgeon (I think it was him) said the 119th Psalm has 22 Paragraphs, each comparable in size to one of the Psalms of Degrees! (A Group of 15 Psalms beginning at Psalm 120 and continuing through Psalm 134.)

Psalm 119 is fast becoming my favorite Portion of the Bible! And maybe here’s the reason why … the Lord clearly led me to preach through its 176 Verses some years ago as a Pastor. And now, while serving the Lord in many pulpits as a traveling Preacher … He has again (years later, mind you) directed me to this Mammoth Chapter again.

This “trip” is nearly automatic though. We are strolling through the Psalms on our YouTube Channel. One video after another, one Psalm after another … and as of Thursday (October 23, 2025) we shall have reached PSALM 119.

In a way this short Article is not simply designed to introduce folks to the Psalm … but it is also an invitation to come study it with us in detail. Probably 22 Lessons, in fact. Visit YouTube and search for our Channel (Dr. Mike Bagwell) and subscribe. (No charge whatsoever!)

Let’s travel together!

Let’s learn how God’s Word, the Holy Bible, can meet every single need in the life of a growing Christian! Let’s learn why God has “magnified His Word above all His Name.” That’s exactly what Psalm 138:2 claims!

See you soon. And please bring your Bible!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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