An Amazing Insight Into The Prayers Of Apostle Paul

            A brief study of Apostle Paul’s prayers reveals an amazing spiritual insight. Christians would continue to grow spiritually (become spiritually mature), if we prayed like the Apostle Paul.

            In his letters to the churches, Paul prayed more for their spiritual needs than their material needs. Historic Christianity is incessantly under attack. These attacks are intended to destroy a sincere Christian. Hence sincere Christians require greater spiritual strength to overcome the attacks of Satan.

            We can grow spiritually, if only we ask (pray) for it. If we pray more for our spiritual needs, we would be spiritually stronger Christians. 

            As you read the prayers of the Apostle Paul, I pray that you would be filled with a burning desire to pray more for your spiritual needs than your material needs. The following compilation of his prayers is from the website of the Regent University.¹

PRAYERS OF THE APOSTLE PAUL, TOPICALLY ARRANGED

(NASB unless otherwise noted)

1.) FOR GODLY LIVING:

-- 2 Cor. 13:7 "Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right…."

-- 2 Cor. 13:9 (NIV) "...and our prayer is for your perfection."

-- Phil. 1:9-11 "And this I pray…that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ."

-- Col. 1:9-10 "…we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will…so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects…."

-- 1 Thes. 3:12-13 "…may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men…so that He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus…."

-- 1 Thes. 5:23 (NIV) "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints."

-- 2 Thes. 1:11 (NIV) "With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may coun you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith."

-- 1 Tim. 2:1 "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity."

2.) FOR MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY AND SUCCESS:

-- Rom. 1:9-11 "For God…is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established."

-- Rom. 15:30-31 "Now I urge you, brethren…to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints...."

-- Eph. 6:19 "...and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of mymouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel...."

-- Col. 1:10 (NIV) "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord…bearing fruit in every good work…."

-- 1 Thes. 3:10 (NIV) "Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith."

-- 2 Thes. 1:11 (NIV) "We constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith."

-- 2 Thes. 3:1 "Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you."

-- Phile.1:6 (NIV) "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a powerful understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."

3.) FOR STRENGTHENING:

-- Eph. 3:16-17 (NIV) "I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."

-- Col. 1:10-11 (NIV) "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord…being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience…."

-- 1 Thes. 3:13 (NIV) "May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God…."

-- 2 Thes. 2:16 "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word."

4.) FOR INCREASED KNOWLEDGE...

A. OF THE LORD

-- Eph. 1:17 (NIV) "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know Him better…."

-- Col. 9-10 "…we have not ceased to pray for you…that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord...increasing in the knowledge of God."

B. Of HIS WILL:

-- Phil. 1:9-10 (NIV) "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best…."

-- Col. 1:9 "we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding...."

C. OF HIS LOVE:

 -- Eph. 3:17b-19 (NIV) "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…."

D. OF THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING:

-- Eph. 1:18 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling…."

E. OF THE RICHES WE HAVE:

-- Eph. 1:18 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know…what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…."

-- Phile.1:6 (NIV) "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."

F. OF HIS POWER:

-- Eph. 1:18-19 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know...what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe."

5.) FOR MORE LOVE:

-- Phil. 1:9 "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and discernment…."

-- 1 Thes. 3:12 "…and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do for you."

-- 2 Thes. 3:5 "And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ."

6.) FOR GRACE AND PEACE:

-- 1 Cor. 1:3 "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

(Also similarly: 2 Cor. 1:2, 2 Cor. 13:14, Gal. 1:3, Gal 6:18, Eph. 1:2, Eph. 6:23-24, Phil. 1:2, Phil 4:23, Col. 1:26, 1 Thes. 1:1b, 1 Thes. 5:28, 2 Thes. 1:2, 1 Tim. 1:2, 1 Tim 6:21b, 2 Tim 1:2, Tit. 1:4, Phile. 1:3)

 -- 2 Thes. 3:16 "Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance."

7.) FOR CHRISTIANS TO BE IN ONE ACCORD:

-- Rom. 15:5-6 "Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

8.) FOR ISRAEL'S SALVATION:

-- Rom. 10:1 "Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them [Israel] is for their salvation."

9.) FOR CHRIST TO DWELL IN OUR HEARTS THROUGH FAITH:

-- Eph. 3:14-17 "…I bow my knees before the Father…that He would grant you…to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...."

10.) FOR MORE HOPE:

-- Rom. 15:13 "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

11.) FOR THE FULLNESS OF GOD:

-- Eph. 3:17-19 (NIV) "And I pray that you…may have power…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Endnotes:

¹ https://www.regent.edu/lib/research/divinity/divinity-paul.pdf

Why Pray When God Knows Our Need?

            Those who have driven in India know what a colossal challenge it is to remain safe and sane. When we are on the Indian roads, we’d hope to get home safe – physically and mentally! Although our driving skills may get us home safe, the conscious irresponsibilities of our fellow drivers may victimize us to road rage to stress and injure us mentally.

            Prayer is thus inevitable while we are on the Indian roads.

            Our need is to be safe. Because we know our need, we pray for our safety.

            God’s knowledge includes the state of our return - safe / limbless / lifeless. But when we pray, we ignore God’s knowledge. We pray earnestly, since we care for our own safety.

            Similarly, while praying for recovery from illness, we ignore God knowledge – whether God would heal or whether this sickness would prolong. Irrespective of God’s knowledge, we pray for healing.

            We ask God because we know our need. We don’t care for what God knows. Our need ignores God’s knowledge and our prayers remain active to the utmost measure.

            If you are in agreement until now, and if the question, “Why Pray When God Knows Our Need?” still rings a bell in you, could you then be a victim of unconscious disingenuousness?

            Being disingenuous is to be insincere. To be unconsciously disingenuousness is to be unconsciously insincere - a state of being ignorant of our insincerity.

            Is this question, “Why Pray When God Knows Our Need?” insincere?

            This question presupposes a one-dimensional nature of prayer – as if prayer is merely to express our needs to God. So it does partially reveal the questioner’s impoverished understanding of prayer.

            Does this question then drag us into the gloomy companionship-dungeons of ignoramuses when, in other instances, our prayer ignores God’s knowledge? Not necessarily!

            This question could be a sincere derivative of a diligent study of Matthew chapter 6.

            Within the context of prayer, Christ delivers two seemingly contradictory statements:

            #1: “…when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6: 7-8, NIV, Emphasis Mine).

            #2: Quite immediately Christ said, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6: 11, NIV, Emphasis Mine).

            So the questioner cannot be dumped into the dungeons of disingenuousness for asking, “Why Pray When God Knows Our Need?” This question contains a certain degree of merit given the seemingly contradictory statements highlighted above.

            In other words, the questioner may well be justified to eliminate the “expression of need” or “give me my daily bread” component of prayer.

            Are these two statements contradictory? No!

            Verse #1 reveals God’s nature – that HE knows it all. Verse #2 reveals our privilege to ask God for just about anything. As much as God knows it all, it is our birthright to ask our Heavenly Father for what we need or want.

            A few other relevant questions could be raised: What’s wrong if we don’t ask God? Won’t God give to us even if we don’t ask HIM?  

            These questions are heavily moored to God’s attributes of grace, goodness, mercy, love and justice.  A gracious, good, merciful, loving and a just God will give that which we need at HIS time, so why bother asking HIM?

            In other words, we may merely praise and thank God for HIS sustaining presence. Why bother God with requests that HE already knows and will anyway give it to us, whether we ask or not.

            Stop for a moment.

            Would God give to us even if we do not ask HIM in prayer?

            Doesn’t the Bible say that unless we ask we do not receive, “You do not have because you do not ask God” (James 4: 2c, NIV)? The more famous counterpart of this verse is, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7: 7, NIV; cf. Matthew 21: 22; Mark 11: 24; John 15: 7).

            If the Bible says, ask and you shall receive, does it not infer that if we do not ask, we would not receive? Or would we receive whatever we ask for (cf. John 15: 7)?  

            The answer is not quite simple. Let’s examine the “asking mechanism” in prayer by observing a few verses from the Bible:

            1. Ask and you shall receive (Matthew 7: 7).

            2. If we ask and believe that we have received it, it will be ours (Mark 11: 24).

            3. If we are in Christ and if HIS Words are in us, then whatever we wish will be given to us (John 15: 7).

            4. If we ask according to the will of God, we receive (1 John 5: 14).

            5. Ask with wrong motives, we do not receive (James 4: 3).

            The most crucial aspect of “asking in prayer” is if we are in Christ and if HIS Words are in us. All the other aspects (highlighted above) are subsets of remaining in Christ.

            A. We remain in Christ only if we believe in HIM.

            B. If we are in Christ, we would ask according to HIS will.

            C. If we are in Christ, we will not ask with wrong motives.

            Therefore, the fundamental question that ought to be answered by each one of us personally is if we are in Christ and if HIS words are in us. This fundamental question supersedes the question, “Why Pray When God Knows Our Need?”    

            In order to better understand this dynamic, let us ask if God would give to us even if we do not ask HIM in prayer?

            Let’s consider our spiritual need over the material:

            Would God give us the ability to know and love HIM more than ever or anybody, if we do not ask for it?

            Would God give us the continuously abounding anointing of the Holy Spirit, if we do not ask for it?

            Would God give us the ability to serve HIM tirelessly, if we do not ask for it?

            NO, God will not offer these blessings, if we do not ask for it.

            Why?

            A Christian who does not ask for spiritual blessings is probably more focused on the material aspects of his/her life. This person has not really understood the basic tenet of a Christian life, which is a constant striving for a greater knowledge of God, to love HIM more, and to serve and glorify HIM always.  

            A Christian who does not ask for spiritual blessings could be in a budding stage (an infant Christian) or be plagued with questions about Christianity or stagnant (a lukewarm or a halfhearted Christian) in his/her relationship with Christ.

            A Christian in love with Christ would desire to know, love and serve HIM more. This Christian knows that the greater anointing of the Holy Spirit is necessary to love Christ and be of greater service to HIM. So this person will evidently desire these great spiritual blessings.

            If our minds are not in Christ, we would not desire spiritual blessings. So once again the question narrows down to whether we are in Christ or not.

            God, who offers HIS sun and rain upon those who hate HIM, will offer the necessary blessings to everyone irrespective of their status in Christ. But, I believe, HE will offer HIS spiritual blessings to only those who desire them.

            The question, “Why Pray When God Knows Our Need?” is a question that focuses on material needs than spiritual. This question will not be asked by Christ-loving Christians, for they would constantly plead for the greater spiritual blessings. When we plead for the spiritual the material will also be added unto us.

            It’s man greatest desire to live in peace. But it’s only the prince of peace, the Lord Jesus Christ, who can offer us peace to live amid trials and tribulation.

            This peace from the Lord, which the Bible describes as the peace that transcends human understanding, is only available to those who ask HIM, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 6-7, NIV, Emphasis Mine).

            May we pray continually seeking God’s blessings upon our lives.