Pray like an apostle. Does that seem like a tall order? The Apostle Paul’s prayers are a good model for us. At the beginning of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 Thessalonians, Paul describes his prayers of thanksgiving and petition. He repeats almost the same four basic things in each of these letters. Paul tells the Christians in these cities that he gives thanks to God for the faith they have in Jesus and their love for all the saints. He prays the Father will give them a spirit of wisdom and knowledge of God and what God has done for them. He also prays they will live in a way that is pleasing to God.
Philippians 1:3-11
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God. NIV
We, likewise, should give thanks to God for the faith in Jesus we see in our brothers and sisters locally, around the world, and throughout history. We are not alone in our faith; rather, we are part of a large, eternal family that trusts in Jesus. We should also give thanks to God for the love and partnership that exists among us as believers. See and appreciate the good we do for one another and our community as we serve Christ.
We should also pray for one another that we grow in our knowledge of God, what he has done for us, and of His will for us. Pray we lead good lives that reflect the faith, love, and hope of Jesus. Remember, the way of life Jesus calls us to does not come naturally. We must constantly discipline and correct ourselves so we do not drift away. In these trying times, let’s be sure to always pray like an apostle.