Heading Home

We return to our prayer series...

3) Inspire

What does ‘inspire’ have to do with prayer? Let’s see…

The dictionaries describe ‘inspire’ as to fill with an exalting or quickening influence, to impel, arouse, or produce a thought or feeling, to communicate, suggest, guide, or control by a divine or supernatural influence, to stimulate or impel as to some creative or effective effort, and so on. The archaic definition means to infuse life by breathing, to breathe into or upon, or to inhale.

In the Old Testament, several scriptures contain the word ‘inspiration’ as the form of ‘inspire.’ The Hebrew word is ‘neshamah’ and means the breath of God or man, the spirit of man, divine inspiration, intellect, and so on.

This word is used in Genesis 2:7 (NKJV) this way, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” And Job 32:8 says, “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” (KJV)

In the New Testament, the Greek word for ‘inspiration’ is theopneustos, which means God breathed or divinely breathed in.

This word is used only once in the NT in 2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV), “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” So, it is divine influence exerted upon the spirit and heart of man for the enhancement of righteousness.

John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (NIV) Just as God’s Word gave life to the universe and mankind in the beginning, His voice still resonates with His creation and His Word still gives life. Jesus is the Word of God; He is “the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1) The disciple John recorded Jesus’ words in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit that makes alive…The words which I speak to you are spirit and are life.” (Received Greek Text)

The writer of Hebrews tells us that this inspired “word of God is living, and powerfully working, and sharper than every two-edged sword.” (Heb. 4:12 RGT) The Bible in Basic English interprets this verse this way, “The word of God is living and full of living power.” The Amplified says, “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective].”

God’s Word is alive and powerful. Not ordinary words, His words are unseen, living entities, actually working energy and living matter of the eternal kind. Right before his death, Moses said of God’s commands, “These instructions are not empty words - they are your life!” (Deut. 32:47a NLT)

So what does this have to do with prayer? If God breathed His inspiration into His Word, infusing it with life and power, then we need to allow Him, in our quiet times, to breathe it into our souls, our minds, our hearts, to penetrate the very depths of our spirits that we might receive all its benefits for our spiritual growth and learning to pray in accordance with it.

The Word is the essence and inspiration of your life. Do you read your Bible in your prayer times? If not, oh, my friend, you are missing so much of what God desires to instill in you. He inspired His Word just for you. Let it be the divine guide in your prayers.

~~Be blessed and be inspired, Lynn~~