Praying With Paul

On Sunday, we spent time in Colossians 1, looking at Paul’s remarkable prayer for the Colossian church. In the New Testament, we have over twenty of Paul’s prayers preserved for us, each serving as a model for how we might structure and shape our own prayers. New Testament scholar D. A. Carson has examined these prayers in depth in his excellent book Praying with Paul. The fruit of his study can be found HERE, and I commend this resource to you if you desire a deeper dive into Paul’s theology of prayer. In this book Carson argues that if we learn to pray the way Paul prayed, our prayers will inevitably become more biblical, more God-centered, more spiritually shaped, and more powerful.

This past weekend, in preparation for the worship service, I decided to review Paul’s prayers more intentionally for my own spiritual good. The following four observations stood out to me—and, frankly, convicted me—about my own prayer life:

1. Paul’s prayers are more thankful than mine.

It is easy in prayer to rush directly into our wants and needs. Often, what triggers my prayers are difficult circumstances or unwelcome emotions—guilt, fear, doubt, or anxiety. When this happens, I tend to go straight to my requests without taking time to consider the mercies God has poured out on me. In contrast, Paul’s prayers almost always begin with thanksgiving.

And what is he thankful for? Many things that I often overlook: God’s grace, spiritual knowledge, gospel partnerships, the Word, spiritual gifts, and the fruit God is producing in other believers. Strikingly, Paul frequently expresses gratitude for the saints themselves and for what God is doing in their lives.

So my first lesson is this: before I speak a single request, I need to prepare my heart by remembering the covenant mercies God has given me in Christ. Prayer should begin with a thankful heart entering the throne room of grace.

2. Paul’s prayers are more selfless than mine.

As noted above, Paul constantly thanks God for the saints (2 Thess. 1:3; Philemon 4–5). But he also intercedes for them specifically and frequently. He prays that the lost would be saved (Rom. 10:1), that the church would experience unity and harmony (Rom. 15:5–6), that believers would overflow with hope, joy, and peace through the Spirit (Rom. 15:13), and that they would be filled with wisdom, revelation, spiritual knowledge, and comprehension of Christ’s love (Col. 1:9–11; Eph. 1:17–19; 3:14–19). He prays for their love to abound, their faith to grow, and their hearts to be established in holiness (1 Thess. 3:10–13; 5:23–24).

Jesus also taught this outward focus in prayer: note the repeated “us” of the Lord’s Prayer—“give us…,” “forgive us…” “lead us…” “deliver us…”—and He modeled this beautifully in His High Priestly Prayer in John 17 when He made intercession for His people.

Lesson number two for me is clear: my prayers must become more selfless and focused on others—for my family, my church, and believers across the world. Intercession should not be the occasional part of my prayers, but a regular, intentional feature.

3. Paul’s prayers are more Trinitarian than mine.

Paul follows a consistent Trinitarian pattern in prayer: to the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. That pattern is familiar to most Christians, yet what struck me was how Paul carefully acknowledges the distinct roles of each Person of the Godhead in salvation and prayer.

For Paul, the Father is the source of grace, the initiator of salvation, the giver of every spiritual blessing, and the One who hears and answers prayer. The Son is our Mediator and Intercessor—the One who makes our prayers acceptable before God. But I was most convicted by how frequently Paul emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer. The Spirit creates the desire to pray (Rom. 8:15), helps us in our weakness (Rom. 8:26), strengthens our inner being (Eph. 3:16), reveals truth (Eph. 1:17), and produces love (Col. 1:8).

Lesson number three for me is twofold: (1) to pray with greater awareness of the whole Trinity, and (2) to rest in the truth that my weakest prayers are carried, strengthened, and purified by the Holy Spirit and presented to the Father through the Son. What an astonishing reality, we never pray alone!

4. Paul’s prayers are more frequent than mine.

As I read through Paul’s prayers, I kept encountering the same words: always, constantly, without ceasing, night and day. Paul’s prayers were not occasional, nor were they limited to moments of crisis. Prayer was a habit—daily, rhythmic, persistent. Even when dealing with his own suffering, Paul prayed repeatedly for the same request (as in his appeal for the removal of his “thorn in the flesh”).

Paul also teaches that prayer is something we are to do “in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:17–18). He prayed in prison, while planting churches, while writing letters, when beginning ministry partnerships, when dealing with church conflict, when preparing to suffer, and when rejoicing.

This may have been the greatest takeaway for me: prayer must become a way of life. May we become a people who call upon the name of the Lord “always and at all times.”