Dr. Bailey has been the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Covington, Louisiana, since 1989.  He formerly served as Professor of Old Testament at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary from 1978 to 1995. He has authored five books: Step by Step through the Old Testament; Biblical Hebrew Grammar; Joshua: Courage for the Future; As You Go: Biblical Foundation for Evangelism; and (with Kenneth Barker) Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk, and Zephaniah in the New American Commentary. He is the current President of the Louisiana Baptist Convention

God wants to grow us in our faith. This is the process of sanctification. He sanctifies us, and we work with Him in the process. When you read and study the Bible, pray, and serve, you are working with God in His work of sanctification in our lives.

Praying Scripture is a wonderful part of our growth in Christ.

Here’s why you should do so.

Praying Scripture means that you are praying in the will of God. Because we are praying according to His Word, we can be assured that we are praying in His Will.

Praying Scripture means that we are pleasing God. He gives us His Word. Our praying Scripture shows that we want to please Him (Ephesians 5:10).

Praying Scripture means that we can adequately praise Him. I often feel inadequate to praise God. When I pray the great words of praise to Him, my inadequacy is removed. I particularly pray Psalm 8:1: “O Lord, our LORD, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” I also often pray Psalm 103:1-2: “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul and forget not his benefits.”

Finally, praying Scripture means that you will access the power of God in your life. Instead of simply getting what you can do, praying Scripture means that you also receive what God can do to conform you to His image.

My Scripture prayer at this time is Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Praying that verse makes me conscious of what God wants me to be, and through prayer I receive the power of God to do what I cannot do.

Here’s a way to get started.

Simply select a passage of Scripture to pray. I suggest Philippians 2:5: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” who humbled himself and became obedient. You might pick Ephesians 4:32 as well.

Also, spend a few minutes with God to ask Him, “What do you want to change in my life?” Then, select a passage of Scripture to deal with the issue. You may have to read the verse to God first, but soon you will be able to recite it–another wonderful advantage of this new discipline.

This blog article was originally posted on WaylonBailey.com and is being reposted by permission of the author.

Throughout the Bible we see where God sometimes leads individuals into the desert to teach them some powerful spiritual lessons. Whether it was the Israelites, John the Baptist, or Jesus Himself, the desert experience was always powerful in bringing to life spiritual truths.

I had my own experience in learning spiritual lessons in the desert, but this particular trip was because of my role as a military chaplain while I was deployed to Iraq in 2010. I serve as a chaplain with the Louisiana National Guard and deployed with the 1-141 Field Artillery out of New Orleans, Louisiana. We served in two locations of Iraq during the year. In the first part of our deployment we were stationed in Tallil, near the Kuwaiti border. Our soldiers performed convoy operations all over Iraq, starting from our base in Tallil. The second half of the deployment we were stationed in the International Zone, Baghdad. We provided security for areas of the International Zone and the US Embassy.

Though we went through loss of life and other difficult situations, I had wonderful deployment. I loved being with my soldiers and ministering to their needs. In the midst of the incredible ministry with the soldiers, God not only used me to touch their lives, but God used them to teach me a few lessons of my own that I would use when I returned to the States as I returned to my teaching ministry and church plant.

Lesson 1:  Engaging the Lost — The first lesson I learned early in the deployment was during the convoy operations. As a chaplain, I did not have to ride with my soldiers on the convoys, but my commander allowed me full access to our operations. To understand the danger they went through, I felt as though I needed to go through the same experiences. After being out on a few missions, I had a soldier that came up to me and said, “Wow, Chaps, you are one of the best chaplains we have ever had!” As we talked, he began to explain how many chaplains would just stay in their office and not go out with the soldiers. He respected me for placing myself in the same circumstances as them.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “I become all things to all people so that I might save some.” God used this soldier to show me that as Christians, we must go to where the people are. In our post-Christian society, we know well that people are not flocking to churches. The only way we will reach them is by going to where they are. Jesus Himself went to the places of the “unchurched,” even to the disgust of the religious crowd. Returning from deployment, I am bolder in going to those places where I can meet non-believers, even if other Christians criticize me for doing so.

Lesson Two: Strengthening the Inner Man — The next lesson I learned was not so easy. We had several hard situations in our unit as well as on the bases I covered as a chaplain. We had one officer in our brigade killed by a road-side bomb. We had another soldier in our unit who committed suicide. I counseled several soldiers concerning marriage and relationship issues. During the last part of my deployment I was one of the few chaplains providing coverage for my area, and so I received a large load of counseling issues. I now look back and realize I had caregiver fatigue and should have set stricter boundaries for my own spiritual health. The last two months of my deployment I went spiritually numb.

During those months, however, I realized what it meant for God to give me a spiritual strength that only He can give. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” literally became my theme in prayer (Philippians 4:13). A person never realizes exactly what that strength is until they have to absolutely depend upon it. I believe I was at that point because even though I had never been so emotionally and spiritually exhausted in my life, neither had I really experienced such a spiritual and emotional strength from the Lord.

Lesson 3:  Entering into the Harvest — The last lesson I learned came in the form of humility as well as blessing. I received a call from a soldier at a remote base in Eastern Baghdad. She asked me to come perform some baptisms on my last Sunday that I would be in Iraq. A civilian from Uganda had been doing some evangelism and discipleship with both the international civilians as well as the American military on this particular base. They needed a chaplain to come and perform the baptisms and offer the Lord’s Supper. Of course I was not going to refuse, but I had no idea what was going to happen in the next few weeks. Originally I was told there would be a few persons being baptized, around 10 to 15. The day I arrived, the number had risen to 57! I had several soldiers and civilians that had accepted Christ during the deployment, but due to various circumstances, these persons were not baptized. So, to be able to baptize that many my last Sunday in Iraq was quite a gift from the Lord.

In reflecting upon that last Sunday in Iraq, I was reminded of Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 3:7 of how God causes the growth of His kingdom, though all of us play a small part. Someone else was able to do the evangelism, I was able to do the baptism, and another person has already started discipling the new believers in Baghdad. Nevertheless, God caused all the growth and I was privileged to have but a small part of what God was doing. As I have returned to the States, I am reminded that I am but a small part of what God is doing in this world to grow His kingdom on earth.

My time in the desert was not as long and perhaps as severe as some of the biblical characters we read (at least I had air conditioning!). Nevertheless, the lessons learned in Iraq will be with me for a lifetime of ministry.

We need to pray for our nation.  We need to pray for God to watch over us.  We need to ask God to give our national leaders some good sense and wisdom.  And, we need to look to God for our strength.  Also, in November, we need to remember who it was that tried to lead our country into socialism and bankruptcy.   At the next Presidential election, we all need to remember who it was that caused our nation to take such a drastic step in the wrong direction.  We need to remember who these people were who wanted our tax dollars to fund abortions.  We need to remember the ones who wanted our country to make this big change in direction towards socialism, and higher taxes, and more government control over our lives.  I will remember.  Will you?

According to Baptist Press, “O.S. Hawkins, president of GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, has announced he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will undergo surgery in September.”  To read the entire article click here.

All of us at SBC Today send our best to Dr. Hawkins and his family during this time.  We ask all to pray for a speedy recovery and that God will continue to be glorified through His servant.

Caycen has Neuroblastoma Cancer of the nervous system. He has relapsed and just found out that he has 2 NEW spots and it is in his bone marrow!

My requests:

1. If you are on facebook, go to this link: Praying for Caycen and join that group. Leave a message to his parents letting them know that Caycen is in your prayers. I would love to see if we can get 500 members on this site by the end of tomorrow praying for him.

2. If you don’t have facebook, you can link here at Caring Bridge and sign on as a guest.

I thank the readers of SBC Today for their prayers. While Caycen and his family desperately need them, may I humble myself to you all and covet your prayers as I minister to them.

His Truth Abideth Still

Bro. Robin

Let us pray also that Christ will be exalted in this time and that Bart will be used in a tremendous way during this time of tragedy and grief.

I have never had to lead a funeral service for my parents, though I lost my Dad back in 2001, we had another pastor to lead in that service.  I can only imagine the Grace and strength that is needed in this situation.  Pray that God will envelope him in a special way and the Holy Spirit will guide him and minister to him as he serves as Pastor for the rest of his family.

We are praying for you Dr. Vines!

This morning I left Knoxville around 4: 45AM heading for Houston for two days of ministry. Around 7:20AM I called both of my sons to wish them a good day and say those all too needed words: I love you!

As I entered the security at Nashville Airport, my phone began to ring over and over again as it waited to go through the screener. A TSA agent handed it too me when I told him that that name on the screen was my wife and I had spoken with her several min. prior and she knew I was going into the security process so it was odd for her to just keep calling. When I answered I discovered that a shooting had just taken place at my oldest sons High School – T (as we call him) is a Sophomore. Heidi was letting me know that she and T were safe before I saw it on the monitors at the airport, which when I looked up – there it was.

I cannot describe the emotions and relief, the panic, and the thankfulness that all hit at the same time. My phone immediately went into vibrate orbit as text messages from staff and friends began to pour in. T was safe and my youngest son Nathan was in lock down down the road at his Middle School.

The emails and text messages confirmed that it was not “mass” in size and that the shooter was in custody. One boy was dead. Hundreds of others had been shielded from worse. It was bad, yet not as bad as it could have been. Pray for the two to three families involved. It is tragic and more.

I made the decision after speaking with T and Heidi to continue on with the schedule. It was the most difficult flight ever. Yet God knew. I sat next to a Grandmother and her granddaughter out for a week long trip together (the girl is 4). She attends church in Florida at an SBC church. Across the isle was a Deacon from a church in Nashville. GOD WAS TAKING CARE OF ME!

I spoke with T and Heidi throughout the day and am still amazed at what God was doing and how He was working. I just finished speaking with him again as he has several friends at our house hanging out and spending the night – their homes are not peaceful nor answer generating and T asked them over. What a guy! Now he and Heidi are talking with parents and students that yesterday would not have occured.

The silly STUFF of today’s arguments and watered down approaches to church and ministry faded as the day passed. God kept saying over and over again – DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE – SHARE ME WITH EVERYONE!

I end the day with that as my priority and passion, thanking God for his protection over my family. It was a day NO parent wants to experience! It was a day that only God can get you through.

WE ARE THE ONES TO SHARE JESUS – LET”S MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING IT! Nothing else matters – NOTHING! Please God, may we be found FAITHFUL!

God Bless