Apostolic Prayers

It was a few days before Thanksgiving -- 1983. I was sitting in a small chapel with my fellow seminary students at Harding Graduate School in Memphis. Doug Brown, one of our professors, prayed some of Paul's thanksgiving prayers. This was the first time that I could recall using Scripture as prayers. And I loved it.

Years later the Lord revealed to me these "apostolic prayers" of Paul. Eph. 1:14-19, Eph. 3:20; 1 Thess. 3:12-13; 2 Thess. 3:5. Prayers that we can pray over others. Whenever I am asked to pray for someone at an elders' meeting, I often choose one of these prayers and pray God's word and God's will over the brother or sister whom we're surrounding and laying hands on them. It always is a holy moment when we pray the word of the Lord over those asking for prayer. The Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts as we pray His will over others.

Susan and I were at a conference at a church this past weekend. It was called "Passion for Christ." One point that really stuck with me is when the speaker mentioned these 25 apostolic prayers in the New Testament. He said, "When you pray those prayers of the Bible you'll be praying God's will."

It made me think that since we believers still have our humanness, we're tempted to pray selfish prayers -- "Lord, do this. Father, please help me with that. Jesus, please change this person."

And yet when we're praying these apostolic prayers, our intercessions are GOD centered, rather than man centered. We exalt Jesus Christ in pleading for His will to be done in our lives and others when we're praying His word.

This makes me think of a book I absolutely love and recommend to you -- Praying God's Word by Beth Moore. Many of the chapters deal with the variety of issues we face as followers of Christ -- being under attack by the enemy, depression, struggling with forgiveness, etc. Every chapter has a section where Beth provides Scripture for us to pray over ourselves and others as they relate to the particular challenge we're facing.

I was struck with the power of these prayers as I read Romans 15 this morning and prayed this one over Susan before heading to work. It was Paul's prayer for the church. And I want to pray it for all of you fellow sons and daughters of God -- for you individually, your congregation and your family:

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen. And Amen.

Jim