I remember seeing my father, on two seperate occasions, come to my mother with two sheets of yellow legal size tablet papers in his hand. He had filled both sides of the sheets from top to bottom with his small left-handed scrawl. He told mom that he just crossed off his last prayer being answered after two years. I never knew how many times he told my mother this, but those two times affected me.
When my father started praying, you almost felt sorry for the devil, because you knew he was going to take a whipping. Have you ever felt like your prayers were just words? That they never made it past the ceiling? Do you feel like you are wasting the time spent on your knees? That the people you are praying for are growing further away from God instead of closer?
The Pauline Prayers
In our New Testament, Paul recorded prayers that were given through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Being inspired and authored by the Holy Spirit means they carry supernatural power and the ability to change whomever you pray for – you or someone else.
They are prayers that you can pray over yourself, your family, members of your Bible study or small group, and even all the members of your church. Powerful prayers encased in the supernatural power of God’s Word.
These are prayers that are intended to change people. When we pray these prayers for people, yourself or others, they will change. As you will see, these prayers are about love, the knowledge of God, and growing up spiritually.
“Prayer: The world’s greatest wireless connection.”
How to Pray Them Effectively
There is a way to pray these prayers for maximum effect. When prayed properly, they always work. Remember what Isaiah recorded about God’s Word.
“So my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” Isaiah 55:11 CSB)
God’s Word will always accomplish what it is sent to do, whether it comes from God’s mouth or our mouth. God’s Word will always work.
Steps For Praying With Maximum Effect
- Pray in faith, believing they will happen as God promised
- Pray specifically naming the person or persons you are praying for
- Pray the prayers daily until change happens
- End your prayer session by thanking God for spiritual growth in the person you are praying for
Let’s go over the steps individually.
Step One – Pray in faith
All of our prayers, not just these, must be prayed in faith. Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for—believe that you have received, it and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24 CSB) When we pray in faith, all of our prayers are answered. “But,” you ask. “Doesn’t it have to be God’s will?”
Yes, it does. Paul and his ministry team prayed these for the people in the church he was writing to. If it was God’s will for the first century believers, then it is God’s will for all believers for all time.
Step Two – Pray specifically
Pray with the person or persons on your mind. See them consciously. Imagine them changing and growing up spiritually.
Step Three – Pray Daily
Pray these prayers daily until the change happens. You are interceding. Don’t let up. Keep applying pressure through your faith. Intercession is never a “one and done” like the prayer of faith is.
Step Four – Thank God Daily
Each day after you pray, thank God for the spiritual growth that is happening in whomever you are praying for. You are praying in faith. Thank God in faith.
If you do these four simple steps each day, you will see change happen.
The Pauline Prayers:
Ephesians 1:15-19
“This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit, of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.” (CSB)
Here is how I pray this prayer. I replace the words you and your with the name of the person I am praying for. Then I pray the prayer out loud so that I can hear myself praying. In this example I am praying for myself.
“This is why, since I heard about Richard’s faith in the Lord Jesus and Richard’s love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for Richard as I remember Richard in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give Richard the Spirit, of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of Richard’s heart may be enlightened so that Richard may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.”
It is that simple, yet extremely powerful when prayed in faith. Look at what you are asking God to do for the person you are praying for. “Give the spirit of wisdom and revelation.” “Enlighten the eyes of the heart.”
God warms his hands at man’s heart when he prays. — John Masefield
Ephesians 3:14-19
“For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (CSB)
I do the same thing for you and your in this prayer. In this example, I am praying for the congregation of my church, Mountaintop Worship Center. (Click through link to their Facebook page.)
“For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant Mountaintop, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in Mountaintop’s inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in Mountaintop’s hearts through faith. I pray that Mountaintop, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that Mountaintop may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Here are some of the things you are asking for in faith while praying this prayer. “Strengthened with power.” “Christ may dwell in their hearts.” “Rooted and firmly established in love.”
This next verse is a confession. I confess it the same way that I pray the prayers.
Philippians 1:6
“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (CSB)
I do the same thing with you in this verse as I did in the prayers. In this example, I am confessing it over my wife. This is a Holy Spirit inspired confession that carries the supernatural power of God.
“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in Cindy will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:9-11
“And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.” (CSB)
Again, I do the same with you and your as in the previous examples. In this example, I am praying for my sisters’ families.
“And I pray this: that Cindy’s and Cheryl’s families love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, 10 so that Cindy’s and Cheryl’s families may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”
This prayer also has some powerful requests. “Love growing.” “Filled with the fruit of righteousness.”
God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil. — E.M. Bounds
Ministers Only
The last prayer I reserve for pastors and those in the ministry.
Philemon 1:4-7
“I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your participation in the faith may become effective through knowing every good thing that is in us for the glory of Christ. 7 For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.” (CSB)
This is how I pray this for pastors and ministers. In my example, I am praying for Kenn and Pam Watson, my pastors, and a good friend whom is in the ministry, Larry Brown. (Click through links to their ministry.)
“I always thank my God when I mention Kenn and Pam Watson and Larry Brown in my prayers, 5 because I hear of Kenn and Pam Watson’s and Larry Brown’s love for all the saints and the faith that Kenn and Pam Watson and Larry Brown have in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that Kenn and Pam Watson’s and Larry Brown’s participation in the faith may become effective through knowing every good thing that is in us for the glory of Christ. 7 For I have great joy and encouragement from Kenn and Pam Watson’s and Larry Brown’s love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through Kenn and Pam Watson and Larry Brown, my brothers and sister in the Lord.”
In Conclusion
Start praying these prayers for yourself, your family and friends, for your church, and your pastors. Watch as the Holy Spirit does a miraculous change and work in those you pray for.
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