How to Pray for Others

Have you ever asked someone if you can pray for them, or told someone that you would pray for them, only to freeze up and wonder what should I pray?

How do you normally pray for others?

How do you think that compares to how Paul prays for others?

In his article “10 Powerful Prayers the Apostle Paul Prayed Over God’s People” Andrew Hess explores 10 things that Paul prayed for throughout his writings.

Paul The Apostle

The Apostle Paul is a significant figure in the New Testament and an influential leader in early Christianity.

Originally Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee who persecuted Christians, Paul converted after encountering Christ on the road to Damascus.

His ministry involved extensive travels, establishing churches, and writing epistles that form a substantial part of the New Testament.

He wrote most of the New Testament in the form of letters to the church as instruction and teaching.

In those letters, he often included prayers that he was praying for those people.

Studying Paul’s Prayers Help us:

Deepen our spiritual focus

Learning to pray like this will help us in our maturity and growth as Christians.

We can learn how to prioritize spiritual wisdom, hope, peace, and strength in our own prayer life.

Learn how to intercede for others.

Intercession = stand in the gap.

We should be constantly praying for others, interceding for others.

We should be persistent in our prayer for our church, friends, and family.

Strengthens our own community bond.

It’s hard to hate others when you are sincerely praying the Lord’s blessing in their life.

We can begin to see others the way that Jesus sees them.

Not out of jealousy, or anger, but out of love and forgiveness.

Praying for others helps to unite us.

Praying like this helps to make sure that our prayers are aligned with biblical principles.

Praying like this helps increase our own Faith and Hope.

Thank God for each one of His people.

Paul never ceased giving thanks and remembering others in his prayers.

Ephesians 1:16 NIV

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

Romans 1:8–10 NIV

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

Colossians 1:3 NIV

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

1 Thessalonians 1:2–3 NIV

We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.

2 Timothy 1:3 NIV

I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.

Philemon 4 NIV

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,

This is one of the most powerful things that we can do in our prayer for others, is just to give thanks to God for them. To think about the things that they are accomplishing and thank God for the gift that they are to you and to the church and others around them.

In all of Pauls letters, Paul is thankful for the believers that he is writing to. We should ALWAYS be thankful for others and their faith.

Can you think of someone that you are thankful for? Who is that person? Why are you thankful for them?

Paul prayed with joy in his prayer to the Philippians.

Philippians 1:3–4 NIV

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy

What is that word joy?

Joy = Gladness.

To be specific. Paul is praying with joy because of the work that the Philippians are doing for God.

Paul was thankful for the grace shown to the other believers.

1 Corinthians 1:4 NIV

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.

Grace = graciousness, attractiveness, charm, winsomeness; favor, grace, gracious care/help, goodwill; (a sign of) favor, gracious deed/gift, benefaction; favor.

The Corinthian church was often being corrected. They often got in trouble. But Paul could see that God had granted favor on this church.

Instead of jealousy, or envy, Paul was thankful for this grace that God gave the Corinthian church.

Is there someone in your life that you feel like God has shown favor or kindness too? Do you ever look at that person with jealousy or envy? How can you be thankful for what God is doing in other people?

Pray for their wisdom and knowledge.

Ephesians 1:17 NIV

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Colossians 1:9 NIV

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 

What is “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation” in the knowledge of him?

That phrase “The Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” Is an interesting phrase.

Paul is asking God, for the Ephesians, for a Spirit of wisdom and revelation. So that, they may know him better

The ultimate goal is that the people that Paul is praying for, is that they would not God better.

Let’s break it down.

The word here for Spirit is pnuema = to breath into, to blow into. That God would breath into the Ephesian Church something that wasn’t there before, that they would know Him Better.

The word for wisdom is Sophias = prudence. Prudence = good judgement.

This is an incredible prayer to pray for others, that they would have good judgement.

Finally we come to revelation.

The word for revelation is apokolysiōs = to reveal, to disclose, to make fully known.

Paul is praying that those things that were hidden or confusing would be made fully known. That the Ephesians would be enlightened.

There are situations that we come to where we need full revelation. Paul prayed for good judgement and full revelation, that the Ephesians would know God in there circumstances.

How can we apply that to those of us in this youth group?

Paul prayed they would be full of hope.

Ephesians 1:18 NIV

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

“That you may know” = that you are fully convinced.

“The hope to which he has called you…” = expectation in the calling of his.

Our hope is not for things in this lifetime. But eternal.

Romans 15:13 NIV

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Another way to pray this = May the God of [expectation in the eternal] fill you with all [gladness] and [freedom from worry] as you trust [believe] in him. That this hope would supernaturally overflow in your life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

That is a powerful prayer to pray for someone else going through a tough circumstance. Lord, let “hope abound” by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is something supernatural. When the power of the Holy Spirit gives hope, that is something that goes deeper than our circumstances. That is something that we need when there seems to be no hope.

Is there anyone that you know right now that is going through a hopeless situation? Can you pray this over their lives.

Instead of just saying I’ll pray for you when someone is going through it, really pray that there would be joy and gladness and expectation of God to move in their circumstance.

Paul prayed they would live in peace and unity.

Romans 15:5–6 NIV

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Peace and unity is one of the biggest things that we can pray over each other.

From the time that you declare friendship or relationship, the enemy is working to split you up, through offense, hurt, disagreement.

Over and over, we are called to live at peace with each other. To be unified with each other.

It’s not that we would all always agree with each other. It’s that we would have the “Same mind” that Christ has towards you.

Who have you let offend or hurt you? How can you pray for that person? How can we have the same mind and attitude that Christ has for that person?

Paul prayed they would be strengthened with spiritual power.

Ephesians 3:16 NIV

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Ephesians 1:18–19 NIV

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength

Colossians 1:11 NIV

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,

Paul prayed they would learn to abide in Christ.

Ephesians 3:17 NIV

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

Ephesians 3:18–19 NIV

may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Paul prayed they would grow in their love for others.

Ephesians 3:17 NIV

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

Philippians 1:9 NIV

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

Paul prayed for their righteousness and purity.

Philippians 1:9–11 (NIV)

Philippians 1:9–11 NIV

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Colossians 1:10 NIV

so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

2 Corinthians 3:7 NIV

Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was,

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 NIV

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Paul prayed they would overflow with praise and thanks to God.

Colossians 1:12 NIV

and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

2 Corinthians 1:13 NIV

For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that,

Ephesians 1:3 NIV

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:12 NIV

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

Paul prayed for opportunities to minister to them.

1 Thessalonians 3:9–10 NIV

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.