As a younger Christian I used to frequent a second hand book store that was equal parts quality—in terms of titles—and cringe, in just about every other way. For example, during one visit the store owner blessed me with an attempt to turn prayer into an acronym: power received at your every request (PRAYER). This abomination that causes desolation came to mind recently, as I prepared to teach a class on prayer at my local church. For acronyms relating to prayer are actually quite popular. Chances are you’ve heard at least one—if not both—of these: ACTS and PRAY. The first stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication; the second for praise, repent, ask, and yield.

What Prayer Acronyms Miss

Now, I’m not here to disparage these. For while we can all agree that PRAYER needs to go, we can all agree that ACTS and PRAY might help believers structure their prayers. Furthermore, both track quite closely with a well established pattern. In answer to the question “what is prayer?” the New City Catechism has the answer: “Prayer is pouring out our hearts to God in praise, petition, confession of sin, and thanksgiving” (38). Similarly, the Westminster Larger Catechism defines prayer as “an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies” (178; see also 183).

Only, however helpful the above acronyms for prayer are—excluding PRAYER—what they miss is the role that the Bible should play in shaping our prayers. And this is certainly no minor shortcoming. Where do we get those words of adoration? How are our affections stirred? In our petitions or supplication, what should we prioritise? What is God’s will for me and others?

It isn’t enough to define prayer; we ought to also ask: “How should we pray?” And it’s here that the two catechisms I’ve already mentioned take us further than any acronym can. “We are to pray with an awful apprehension of the majesty of God, and deep sense of our unworthiness, necessities, and sins; with penitent, thankful, and enlarged hearts; with understanding, faith, sincerity, fervency, love, and perseverance, waiting upon him, with humble submission to his will” (WLC 185). Still, you might ask, what does this look like? Or how can I learn to do that? Very briefly, “The whole Word of God directs and inspires us in what we should pray” (NCC 40; similarly WLC 186). Thus, we should pray with an open Bible in front of us.

Theologically and Biblically Inspired Prayer

In the modern classic on prayer, A Call to Spiritual Reformation (or Praying With Paul), D. A. Carson helpfully outlines two ways that the Bible ought to inform our prayers. The first is in a broadly theological sense; the second is more specific to biblical passages where we get to hear others praying.

Commenting on the first, Carson writes: “the more we learn about God and his ways and perspectives, the more we improve our grasp not only of elemental theology but of prayer as well. All praying presupposes an underlying theology; conversely, our theology will have a decisive influence on our praying.”

What I really appreciate about Carson’s first point is that it cuts in two directions. That is, on the one hand it is an invitation to deepen the theology that will better direct our prayers. On the other hand, it’s a corrective to superficial bubble gum prayers. What God has revealed about himself through scripture should have a refining effect on our prayers. Put to work, biblical truth is a powerful ingredient for prayer. Like the psalmists we ought to meditate on God’s works and character, through his words, and in wonder. Typically, this isn’t considered the remit of theology. Perhaps that’s why our prayers regularly run aground on the shoals of repetition and neatly packaged spirituality. To come back to Carson, a “deepening grasp of Scripture is bound to have reforming influence on our praying.”

The second way that the Bible can direct is, in the words of D. A. Carson, “the study of the prayers of Scripture.” If the first is comprehensive or foundational the latter is more content even form focused. As Carson writes in his Call to Spiritual Reformation, “Such study will help us identify what to pray for, how to approach God, the proper grounds of our petitions.” In his book he does this using Paul’s prayers, for example Philippians 1:9-11. But one can also use the book of Lamentations of Psalms, both saturated with the prayers of the saints. Of course, as both the Westminster Larger and New City Catechisms go on to say, there’s Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). Unfortunately, many Christians are only ever taught to use the last for inspiring and structuring our petitions. But the Bible is replete with examples.

So, we should pray with open Bibles, employing the Spirit-inspired words of God’s people and theology to breathe new life into our praises, petitions, confession of sin, and thanksgiving.