Overview: Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney is a very helpful, short, easy to read, and practical book about praying the Bible. I have read this book twice and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is studying the spiritual disciplines or who wants to learn how to practically use the Bible as the guide in prayer!
Youth Ministry Usefulness: I have taught the principles of this book to college students, high school students, and middle school students in four different settings. It is a great tool to teach in a large group; followed by spending a set amount of time praying the Bible individually and then discussing the experience as a whole group.
Quotes:
“Therefore the problem is not that we pray about the same old things; rather, it’s that we say the same old things about the same old things. It seems that virtually everyone begins to pray this way sooner or later, and it is boring. And when prayer is boring, we don’t feel like praying. When we don’t feel like praying, it’s hard to pray, at least in any sort of focused, heartfelt way.” Page 20
“By this means, the Spirit of God will use the Word of God to help the people of God pray increasingly according to the will of God.” Page 37
“God’s mind and God’s Word are so much broader than our own perspective, and he will prompt you through the Bible to pray with an awareness for things far beyond the same old things.” Page 74
My Own Experience with this Book: Several years ago, I was recommended this book as a possible tool to use when I was helping lead a prayer group that included mostly retired people. I can recall some of the first times I put into practice what I read in these pages as I prayed Psalm 138. God used the Bible to guide my prayers and taught me through prayer in the Bible what I might not have otherwise learned at that time. Since then I have had Dr. Whitney as a seminary professor and have benefitted through becoming reacquainted with this book. With that being said, it is now my hope that many others continue to discover, use, and apply what this 100 page book teaches.
Equipping Students 
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