Praying Paul's prayers

The apostle Paul’s prayers are great models for praying prayers that please God.

And, if we pray according to God’s will, we can be sure that God will work with power in our lives.

Joyce Meyer discusses her approach to praying Paul’s prayers in her book The Power of Simple Prayer.

Meyer says she is convinced that scripture combined with the power of the Holy Spirit are vital to effective prayer.  As we read and meditate on scripture, God can use the Bible to direct and animate our prayers.

She uses the words of Paul’s prayers for himself and for believers to illustrate what she means.

For example, Paul says in Ephesians 1:17 that he prays his readers will receive “the spirit of wisdom and revelation” from God.

“I believe that asking God for revelation - spiritual insight and understanding - is one of the most important prayers we can pray. . . We need him to reveal and uncover the truths of the Word revealed to us so that we will understand how to pray for ourselves and for others.”

In Ephesians 1:18, Paul says that he prays that the “eyes of your heart” would be “flooded with light so that you can know and understand the hope to which he has called you”.

Meyer turns to these words often as she prays: “God, show me the great hope that I have in you, so that I don’t become discouraged in my life.”

In Ephesians 3:16, Paul says: “I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”

Meyer comments: “We need to be saying ‘God, grant me strength and power in my inner man, and let the Holy Spirit indwell me and flow through my personality.’  That kind of prayer will transform us.”

She urges us to look at Paul’s prayers in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians and write them out and study them and let them sink into our spirits.

She suggests that we take the apostle’s prayers and “praying them in a way that makes them personal or applies them to someone else”.

She even gives examples in her book about applying God’s word to specific situations in life.

Very good - and life-transforming - advice.