I hate to waste words. And instead of being the obsessive self-editing author that I am and spending days wondering how to explain the concept behind Pray the Scripture Bible, I'll share what I wrote in the introduction:
"Most people pray. Many of us struggle. We wonder what to say to God and how to say it. We worry if we will get what we ask or if we can speak honest questions.
Pray the Scriptures Bible shows that all of God’s Word teaches us how to pray. I envisioned this experiential Bible as a fresh, accurate, straightforward translation together with a stream of prayers flowing from both heart and mind, speaking back to the God who speaks to us in the Bible.
The prayers intentionally stay close to the Bible text. Prompted by Scripture, they capture an everyday conversation with God. Praying the whole Bible forces us to form prayers from both teachings and stories…to make sense of challenging and awkward passages…to find personal relevance in verses dense with history and sparse on obvious application.
Pray the Scriptures Bible is a personal response to Scripture, but I searched for themes and words that fit easily in anyone’s mouth. I hope these prayers encourage your own one-on-one conversation with God—that these simple words help you process your own life circumstances and give voice to your own spiritual longings, wonderings, and worship.
Don’t keep these prayers to yourself. Pray them for others—family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, people you struggle to love, and the world at large. Pray them with others—in pairs, groups, and gatherings.
Thanks to Bethany House Publishers, from David Horton and Natasha Sperling to the entire staff, for partnering to use the God’s Word Translation to make this idea real. They join me in praying that this unique Bible will inspire your quest to know and experience God."
Comments