Praying Like Paul
Published Oct 10, 2023
By Kristen Leavins
Prayer is important. God calls us to pray. I pray multiple times a day. I pray in the morning with my prayer journal. I pray in the shower and at mealtimes. I pray for family devotion. And, my husband and I pray together every night. I pray for big things and little things.
But, when there is trauma in my life, I pray more. I’m begging and beseeching the Lord when there is difficulty. There are also times when I’m too broken and too sad to even pray at all. That’s when I just sit in silence or let the tears fall. Sometimes, I’m angry at God in my prayers.
There are differing seasons of prayer. I’m OK with my prayer life but then I’m not. If I truly believed in the power of prayer, it would radiate from my being and pour out of my soul even in “easy” times. What I really want is to be able to pray like Paul. I’m challenging myself to memorize more scripture and one of those passages is from Ephesians chapter 3, verses 14-20, which says,
Eph. 3:14- 20 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
My hope is that by putting this scripture to memory and believing truly in the God who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that I can ask or think, my heart will be transformed. We have his power living and working within us. Paul prays this for the Ephesians church and we can pray this for our families, our friends, our enemies and ourselves. My prayer is that we would be strengthened through His Spirit, and that we would be rooted and grounded in love. My hope is that I would know this love of Christ that exceeds beyond all comprehension and my heart would be full of faith. May your faith and love in Christ be this full as well.
So, my challenge to you is to pray like Paul. Pray with heartfelt faith and fullness! And, if you so choose, join me on this journey of memorizing this passage of scripture. I can’t imagine that it isn’t worth the effort.
