Discovery Prayer is a simple, reproducible way to pray directly from Scripture by thanking God for who He is, declaring His truth, and asking Him to fulfill His will in us.
a prayer practice developed by Kirk Freeman, and modified by Raimer to be more user-friendly and reproducible
Discovery Prayer is a simple way to pray directly from Scripture in a way that opens a real, conversational relationship with Jesus. Instead of coming to God with a long list of requests, we let His Word shape what we pray, how we pray, and what we listen for.
It is called Discovery because we are discovering—through the Holy Spirit—who God is and what He desires for His people. And it is called Prayer because we turn what we discover into a living dialogue with Jesus.
Discovery Prayer is not a formula. It’s a launching pad that propels us into an active, ongoing conversation with the Lord.
We use Discovery Prayer because:
It keeps us rooted in God’s Word—not our emotions or assumptions.
It helps us hear God’s heart with clarity.
It is simple, memorable and reproducible—anyone can learn it and teach it.
It builds a habit of praying truth, not just need.
It shifts prayer from “talking at God” to talking with God.
It trains us to pause, listen, and respond.
It is one of the most accessible ways to help someone actually experience prayer, not just learn about prayer.
Before beginning, we often pray something like: “Father, based on this chosen verse(s), would You bring to our mind words and thoughts related to Your will?” Then we ask the Holy Spirit to show you what He wants you to see. Finally, we use the Discovery Prayer steps below, making prayer conversational, biblical, and deeply personal.
Based on the Bible text: Ephesians 4:15-16 NLT
1. Truths About God
THANK - “Father, thank You that Jesus is our Head—the One who leads, guides, and shapes us. Thank You that You are the One who fits Your people together perfectly.”
DECLARE - “You are the God who builds Your church. You make every part matter. You supply the love, the unity, and the growth. You never stop forming us to become more like Christ.”
DECLARE - “It is Your will for our small group to speak the truth in love, to grow more and more like Christ, and to function as a healthy body—each person doing their part.”
ASK - “Lord, make us a small group that builds each other up. Grow us in Your love. Help each person discover and use their gifts and the shape of who they are to be a true blessing to each other. Shape us into a healthy, growing, Christlike community—full of Your love.”