Today I’m praying by borrowing some of the ancient words of the Bible. Psalm 23 is a good place to start…

“The Lord is my shepherd, I will lack nothing…”

These words have been said to and of God many millions of times, over thousands of years. God loves hearing and responding to this beautiful statement of faith. Try it!

Using the Bible as a precedent is a great place to build prayer patterns. When we don’t know what to say, we can say what’s been said before. We can speak God’s word back to himself.

Worthy aside: My wife Jill is good at this. She’s recorded a CD that helps people – especially children – pray the Bible. Check it out.

The scriptures are our basis for living, and what was true thousands of years ago remains true and relevant today. When you echo ancient words you connect with the wider human experience and with our never-changing God.

Try it. Pick a passage like Psalm 23 or Romans 8 and read it slowly. Your words make it a prayer – a familiar prayer – to God.

Check out the other “21 Ways to Pray” in a special Beliefnet devotional I’ve written. And as always, feel free to add in your own perspectives.