Paul's Prayers

When Paul wrote his letters, it was often in response to news that he learned about God’s family in other cities, and provinces. He wrote to encourage, to help, and to enlighten.

As part of these letters, he would often write about his prayers for them. Paul, and the early believers, had all learned from Jesus, how important prayer was. Jesus demonstrated how much attention, and involvement, God gave to the prayers of his children. Jesus demonstrated how much God listened, and acted, on the prayers of his children.

Much of the church in the West has lost a sense of the supernatural. God’s work is being done using modern business practices: advertising, entertainment, glitz, and celebrity star-power. The first century church was built by faith, love, prayer, unity, gospel proclamation, and gospel demonstration.

Paul’s prayer also give us a look at God’s priorities.

For one group, Paul prayed that they might have a spirit of wisdom, and revelation. It was not only important to understand the right path, and how to walk in it faithfully, but to be open to new communication from the Father. All of which should result in growth of the knowledge of God.

The word “knowledge” in the original language did mean information, and understanding, but it also included experience. Many people have information, and understanding, about war. But the mean, who splashed ashore at Normandy, on D-Day, have tastes, smells, sights, and sounds, engraved into their memories, because of what they experienced.

He prays that we might understand the positive future, God has invited us to participate in. We partner in a mission to reclaim God’s kingdom, of world transformation. We move into an eternal relationship with the Father, and his family.

He prays that we might grow in grasping how much god values his people. His death to redeem us proclaims it. His moment by moment attention proclaims it.

And he prays that we might realize the power that God is ready to wield on our behalf. He exerted that power, when he raised Jesus from the dead, and turned the world upside down.