Praying Scripture

In the newly formed women’s group for our church, we watched the movie War Room and talked about prayer. Several years ago I received a bookmark of Scripture-Based Prayers to Pray for Your Pastor, and I’ve used that regularly ever since. I’ve also collected other such prayers as I’ve read through the Bible. Here are some suggestions to get you started praying Scripture for yourself and others.

1. I pray that You will make ______ worthy of Your calling and that You may fulfill his/her every resolve for good and every work of faith by Your power, so that You may be glorified (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).
2. I pray that You will fill ______ with knowledge of Your will in wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that he may walk in a manner worthy of You, fully pleasing to You and bearing fruit in every good work (Colossians 1:9-10).
3. I pray that ______ would put off the old self with its practices and put on the new self in Christ—kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:9-10, 12).
4. Lord, strengthen _____ by Your Spirit, that he would know the breadth and length and height and depth of Your love (Ephesians 3:16, 18-19).
5. I thank You for the faith of _____ and the joy and comfort he has been to me, and I pray that the sharing of his faith may aid others in knowing every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ (Philemon 4-7).
6. Father, thank You for ______ and his partnership in the gospel, and I pray that his love would abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment, that he may be filled with the fruit of righteousness (Philippians 1:4-5, 8-11).
7. I pray that You would make all grace abound to ______ that his needs may be supplied so that he may abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).
8. Sovereign Lord, I pray that You would keep ______ from stumbling so that You may present him blameless before God with great joy (Jude 24).
9. I give thanks for _______ and he work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in Christ. May he continue to be an example for others to follow (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, 6).
10. Lord, enable _____ to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that his labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
11. Let _____ stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God (Colossians 4:12).
12. I pray that ______ would know that You alone are his rock and salvation and fortress, that he will not be shaken (Psalm 62:2).
13. Comforter, I pray that _____ will be able to lie down and sleep in peace, knowing that You alone make him to dwell in safety (Psalm 4:8).
14. May ______ abide in You so that he may bear much fruit (John 15:4).
15. Lord, keep _____ from fear because You are with him. Let him not be dismayed, but strengthen him and uphold him by Your hand (Isaiah 41:10).

I’ve shared this link before, but it’s worth repeating. Nancy Guthrie gave this list of things to pray for in the midst of suffering. It is not always God’s will to heal or to remove suffering, but He will always use it for His good purposes.

• To put God's glory on display (John 9:3)
• To make the life of Jesus evident (2 Corinthians 4:10-11)
• To live out genuine faith (1 Peter 1:6-7)
• To cause us to depend on him more fully (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)
• To reveal hidden sin or keep us from sin (2 Corinthians 12:7)
• To experience that Christ is enough (2 Corinthians 12:9)
• To discipline us for holiness (Hebrews 12:10-11)
• To equip us to comfort others (1 Corinthians 1:3)
• To make us spiritually mature (James 1:2-5)
• To make us fruitful (John 15:2)
• To shape us into Christ's likeness (Romans 8:29)
• To share in the suffering of Christ (Philippians 3:10)

Perhaps this can refresh our efforts to pray for one another and see how God may answer.

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.