Who doesn’t need help in prayer? I mean, with the best of intentions and heartfelt requests, we can still feel as if our prayers fall short at times– especially when you don’t know all the details of a situation.
God knew we would need help and one of my favorite ways He has given us assistance in prayer is through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. But I’ll save that for another day because I want to show you a powerful way to pray that is written in the Word of God.
Paul’s Prayers
The Apostle Paul was used by God in a mighty way. He is credited for writing almost half of the New Testament. He was a man of great prayer. And many of his letters contain these prayers.
In the four I want to share with you today, Paul prayed for the church of Ephesus, Philipi, and Colossi– churches of his time. But because God’s Word is eternal, then Paul’s letters are still relevant to us today because WE ARE THE CHURCH. Therefore, every prayer of his can be a prayer of ours.
And the best part is, whether you are praying for a loved one or yourself, you can make these prayers personal.
Actually, the best part is the confidence you can have when you pray.
The Bible says God’s Word does not return to Him void, “but it will accomplish what [He] pleases and will prosper in what [He] sent it to do” (Isaiah 55:11). This means, when you pray God’s Word for yourself or those you love and care about, you can have great confidence His Word will do what it says!
So let’s pray!
I’m going to make these personal (for each of us) but I’ll emphasis where you can add a loved one’s name. All scripture references will be at the end of each section so you can look them up and highlight them in your Bible.
Father, I pray that You, the God of my Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened so that I may know what is the hope of Your calling, what is the wealth of Your glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of Your power toward me as a believer, according to the mighty working of Your strength.
You exercised this power in Christ by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at Your right hand in the heavens– far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And You subjected everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of You– the one who fills all things in every way. (Ephesians 1:17-23)
For this reason I kneel [bow my heart] before You Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that You would grant me, according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened with power in my inner being through Your Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith. I pray that I, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of Your love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that I may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19)
And I pray this: that my love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that I may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless [sincere and without offense] in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11).
For this reason also, since the day I heard this, I haven’t stopped praying… I am asking that I may be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that I may walk worthy of You Lord, fully pleasing You, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of You God, being strengthened with all power, according to Your glorious might, so that I may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to You Father, who has enabled me to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. You have rescued me from the domain of darkness and transferred me into the kingdom of Your dear Son. In Him, I have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14)
Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that I could ask or think according to the power that works in me— to You Father be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Amen and amen!
Everywhere I made this prayer personal (emphasized in bold), you can add someone’s name. Example: “Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that [John] could ask or think according to the power that works in [him]….”
I hope you can see and sense how powerful this is– a more confident way to pray God’s best over your life and those you love and care about.
So save this! Go highlight these verses in your Bible. And watch God answer these prayers beyond all you could ask or think!
