Let Genesis 1 Upend Your Prayers
How do you pray the beginning of the Bible?
Could one single habit transform your walk with God?
Before you dismiss that idea as gimmicky, give this a try.
I began this year by urging people to pray the Bible. By that, I just mean when you read Scripture, pause from time to time and pray in response. If you’re not used to doing that, it might feel a little awkward at first. But stick with it and I promise you’ll get into a flow.
Psalms lend themselves readily to this kind of prayer and are the best place to try it out. But it’s when you discover that you can pray any part of the Bible that you tap into the real power and potential of the practice.
So let’s start in the beginning.
About a week ago, when I opened up my Bible to Genesis 1 and started praying, I didn’t have a plan. I had no idea where it would go and no particular expectation for what this post might become.
I did know I was headed into more challenging territory than I was used to. After all, I’m much more accustomed to praying verses like those that open Psalm 91.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Here, you might pray, Lord you are my refuge. You are a fortress. Thank you that I can dwell in your shelter. You are the only one who offers protection that never ends. Your shadow is where I can find true light and true rest. Thank you, God. I trust you.
Those verses practically script your prayer for you. On the other hand, a passage like Genesis 1 may not lead to an obvious prayer reflection.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
I paused. I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. Thank you, Lord, for making everything!
It was a start. On to the second verse:
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
At this point, I was feeling kind of stumped. Whenever I need a prayer fallback plan, another thank you, God will almost always do the trick. But even that seemed a little odd here. Thank you for hovering over the waters?
I decided to grab a notebook to shake things up. And if you happen to have one where you are, I’d encourage you to do the same right now.
Although I first heard of journaling prayers long ago, I have to admit I’ve rarely ever tried it.
I found it drew out prayers that differed from my usual. Maybe the nature of writing lends itself to asking questions. Because I suddenly found myself including lots of those.
And since that looks like a doctor’s scrawl on a prescription, I’ll type the questions too.
Lord, what were you thinking as you hovered over those waters?
Is thinking even the right word to use? Do I risk making you too human?
Were you filled with the joy of anticipation?
Try this right now. Re-read the first two verses of Genesis and write down your own prayer response. It doesn’t have to be anything like mine. It doesn’t even need to sound particularly spiritual. It just has to be honest.
When you hear the Lord “speak” these words, what’s your first response?
Genesis 1 is unique among the Bible’s chapters in that, through most of it, human beings don’t exist yet. Praying in response to it, then, might scuttle our go-to prayer requests. It could press us to ask God questions, as it did with me. Or it might give us space to simply praise the Lord for who he is (Psalm 96:4).
Removing ourselves from our own prayers is a great practice from time to time. Then later, when we do return to God with our requests (Philippians 4:6), we’ll find they’re shaped by a deeper awe for who he is. They’ll contain more gratitude, even in those times when our needs are great.
Move on to the next verses now. Again, just write your first, honest response. What does this word from the Lord spur you to say back to him?
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning—the first day.
You might have noticed that I didn’t bias you this time. I asked you to write down your prayer response before I shared mine.
Here, I found myself contemplating how light, throughout the Bible, is an image of God’s goodness and love. And yet, every aspect of the Lord’s character existed before he spoke the momentous words, “Let there be light.” That original light was physical light as we know it. But it was more than that. It revealed something of God’s essence. Or at least it would have, had anyone been there to perceive it.
I felt joy welling up in me as I pondered these mysteries, pen to paper, in the presence of God. Meditating on the “evening and morning” refrain, I began to think about the in-between age we live in. No sooner does the light arrive in full than the darkness begins its return. That darkness is then followed by light, only to be pursued by darkness again. On and on it goes. And then the Lord lifted my thoughts to the end of that cycle.
There will be no more night. And [God’s people] will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)
Take some time to continue praying to the Light-giver. Ponder his goodness on display in creation.
If you’re still holding out, go grab that pen and notebook now. And if you’ve already begun, carry on. It will be time well spent.
John 3:16 ~ "Cosmic Agape"
Think big.....