My Favorite Prayers From the Greatest Song Ever…
I am continuing my study and meditation in the book called by Holy Spirit "The Song of All Songs" or "The Song of Solomon". I want to share some of my favorite phrases and personal prayers that I've been drawn to over the years. I figured I would share some of them in hopes that they may inspire you to create your own list.
As a reminder, Solomon wrote over 1,000 songs in his lifetime and determined to call this song his favorite song. If this is Solomon's favorite song and this song as been canonized and celebrated over the generations as a part of the holy scriptures, both in Jewish traditions and in Christian traditions, surely it is Holy Spirit's favorite song to emphasize Christ the Great Bridegroom King and His Bride who will be prepared and presented to Him soon in holy and mature love. Another reminder for this song from Solomon as inspired by Holy Spirit, is that we can read it from two primary interpretations. It is a natural love story between a King and his favorite Bride. It is also a spiritual love story emphasizing holy and maturing love between Christ the Bridegroom God and His Bride. Having mentioned these reminders, here is a short list of my favorites phrases that have become my personal prayers:
Song of Songs 1:4 "Draw me away! We will run after you..." I often pray, "Lord, if You will continue to initiate this holy adventure of radical love, I will be empowered and inspired to follow You, wherever You will lead me. Keep calling me in love and I will keep running because of love."
Song of Songs 1:15 "Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold,you are fair! You have dove's eyes." This is my regular prayer to the Lord. I ask the Lord to declare this phrase over my heart and about my testimony of following Him. The description of 'dove's eyes' refers to the singleness of heart and focused gaze just as doves are known to not have peripheral vision. Doves are also known to be very relational and loyal to only one life-partner. They only see what's in front of them and they only love one in their short life. "Oh God, give me dove's eyes. Give me grace to only have eyes for you, all of my days."
Song of Songs 2:14 "Oh my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet and your face is lovely." This passage and conversation is the Shulamite Maiden quoting the conversation she hears from her Bridegroom Lover. He is speaking these things to her. I love to take this phrase and ask Christ to speak it over me; to be true of me as one who hides away to hear His voice. I also imagine Jesus speaking this over me in times of secret prayer. I imagine Him celebrating my spoken prayers and songs being declared to Him. Then, I turn it back on Him to say if this is truly how you see me, let me also ask it of You. "Let me hear YOUR voice and Let me see YOUR face."
Song of Songs 3:3 "Have you seen the one I love?" Just as this Young Maiden began to search for the One she had fallen in love with, she approaches those of seeming authority to find his whereabouts. She asks the religious leaders where to find him and if they had seen him. I always imagine the weight of this statement as being a sole-searching question, "Have YOU seen the one I love?" In other words, have you personally encountered and seen and heard and experienced the beauty of this Bridegroom King? Wow! What about you? Oh, He is truly the beautiful God who fully satisfies all who surrender to Him in love.
Song of Songs 3:6 "Who is this coming out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense.." This whole section of scripture gives us insight into Solomon's grand procession of royal pomp and circumstance as he is riding into the small village. He is coming as a conquering king, with a full display of His riches, power, and emblems of victory over all opposing enemies. What we gain insight into though is that the Greater King is coming again in like manner, and greater still, Christ the coming King will ride forth in celebration, riches, brightness, power, and glory on the day of His return. All who see Him will say, "Who is this riding from the wilderness of hiddenness?" This was true of Hm at His resurrection and will be true again at His second coming. The nations will see the eternal wisdom of God. What seemed to be unfulfilled was just simply delayed. He will come in glory and power to set all things into their rightful place. "Who is this? I thought I knew Him, but wow, He is even greater than we imagined." This is some of the imagery that truly inspires me in prayer.
Song of Songs 4:9 "You have ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; You have ravished my heart with one look of your eyes..." This is a statement from King Solomon speaking these statements over his bride. So too, Christ, the Bridegroom King speaks these over His Bride. I often ask the Lord to speak these truths over my heart and ask Him to remind me of how He feels about me, even when I feel weak in my love back to Him. He says to me, "Oh David, you have caused my heart to skip a beat. You have won My undivided attention. Ask me for anything. I'll give you your hearts desire in love. Every time you set your eyes/determined focus to seek me and find me, I am overwhelmed by your love. The testimony of your faithful love over the years towards me, oh...You Ravish My Heart."
Song of Songs 5:2 "I sleep, but my heart is awake; It's the voice of my Beloved! He knocks, saying, "Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one..." This phrase has a couple of applications and implications that can be understood. One of the ways I read and pray this phrase is to say, "Jesus, even when all of life is okay, I am still desiring and longing for the day of Your appearing. Even when I'm sleeping, my heart is hungry for Your return. I am listening for Your voice to draw me away and speak to me." I am often reminded that it is Christ's desire for my fellowship, even more than my own desire. He first "asks, seeks, and knocks" for the fellowship of love and conversation and communion from those He has redeemed and restored into His fellowship (Rev. 3:20).
Song of Songs 8:5 "Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved." Wow!!! So much to say about this statement. As it pertains to turning this phrase into prayer, it is the pursuit of my heart personally and a prayer for the rest of the Bride of Christ. I often ask the Lord to give me grace to endure through the difficult trials of life, even as Christ obeyed the Father and endured the sufferings of the Cross. "Just as He came up out of the wilderness of suffering, Father, allow me to do the same. I ask for grace to walk humbly walk before the Lord", as I acknowledge that His power can only be increased and entrusted with the weak and humble. Like Jacob who came up from the wilderness of wrestling and testing, he came forth leaning. "May I come forth leaning, humble, unrecognizable, but fully celebrated by the Lord Himself. Oh God give me an un-offendable heart. Let me pray like Paul (Phil. 3:10), that I would know Christ my Bridegroom King in His resurrection power and in fellowshipping with Him in His suffering intercessory heart."
Song of Songs 8:6 "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm." I often turn this prayer into the grand request of the Bridegroom King, Jesus Himself speaking to me to set His name, His character, His dreams and desires, like a seal of ownership upon the secret places of my heart and on the public places of my arm. I pray that Christ would mark me for love, with love, and unto love and preserve me for Himself as His eternal inheritance. My heart is His as an inheritance of love.
I share these few statements and prayers as an inspiration to turn this book into prayer language before the Living Flame of Love who is waiting for us to draw near and to be changed. Amen!
David Futrell
IHOP-Miami
Prayer Missionary