A List of Prayers from Scripture
The following is a list of verses that I have compiled from Scripture and how I use them to pray for myself and others:
1. 1 John 5:14-15 - For this one, when I make requests and quote this to God, I do so as a basis for what I'm asking--as long as what I'm asking is according to His will, as that's what these verses are talking about. For instance, "God, as you mentioned in 1 John 5:14-15, if I ask anything according to Your will, You'll hear me, and, if I know that You hear me, I'll have whatever I ask of You; so, on the basis of that, please give me a greater desire for You.
2. Psalm 51 - This psalm is attributed to David after he commits his sin with Bathsheba and has Uriah murdered. I pray a lot of verses from this psalm when I'm repenting of sin, particularly verses 1-4, 7-9, 10, 12, 15, and 17.
3. 1 John 1:9 & 2:1-2 - I use these when I pray as confidence that God will forgive me of sin.
4. 1 Peter 2:2 - I take Peter’s command to have a longing for the pure milk of God’s Word, and I use this one to ask God to give me a longing for His Word, so that I may grow in respect to salvation.
5. John 17:13 - For this one, I ask that God would make His joy full in me.
6. John 17:15 - For this one, I ask God that He will keep me from the evil one.
7. John 17:17 - For this one, I ask God to sanctify me in the truth of His Word. "Sanctify" means "to set apart" or "to make holy"; this is what all of the process of sanctification (being made more conformed to the image of Christ) is.
8. Psalm 119:18 - For this one, I pray it directly, asking God to open my eyes to observe wonderful things from His Law. Notice the word "wonderful" that is used. "Wonderful" things are desirable things. I want to desire God's Word more.
9. Psalm 119:12b - Here, the psalmist asks God to teach him His statutes, which are laws/commands. So, I ask God to do the same. (Do a study of Psalm 119 and notice how much the psalmist says that he delights in the Lord and in His Word, and then turn those verses into prayers for yourself, too. There are too many to list here, as the psalm is full of them, and it's the longest chapter in the Bible.).
10. Psalm 34:8a - For this one, like with 1 Peter 2:2, I take the command and turn it into a prayer, asking God to help me to taste and see that He is good (Again, notice the language of desiring God there.).
11. Luke 22:32 - For this one, I take Jesus' prayer for Peter and ask that God would not allow my faith to fail.
12. Mark 9:24b - For this one, I take the man's prayer who speaks in this passage and tell God that I believe Him, but I need Him to help my unbelief. This one is useful to me, as I know things that God has promised, and I believe them to be true, but, many times, it's hard to truly and personally believe them for myself. I think this is a good prayer for addressing that issue.
13. Romans 8:28-29 - For this one, I ask God that He will use a situation to cause me to become more conformed to the image of Christ, as these verses promise that He causes all things to work together for the good of making believers more conformed to the image of Christ.
The following is a list of prayers that Paul prayed for several of the churches to which he wrote (I’ve changed some of the pronouns, so it’s easier to see how we can pray these passages.):
1. Ephesians 1:17-19a - “God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give me a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of You. I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened, so that I will know what is the hope of Your calling, what are the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of Your power toward us who believe.”
2. Ephesians 3:16-21 - “Father, grant me, according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened with power through Your Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith; and that I, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that I may be filled up to all the fullness of You.”
3. Ephesians 6:19-20 - “Father, please give utterance to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel…and to proclaim it boldly, and to speak as I ought to speak.”
4. Philippians 1:9-11 - “Father, please allow my love to abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that I may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of You.”
5. Colossians 1:9-14 - “Father, please fill me with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that I will walk in a manner worthy of You, Lord, to please You in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of You; strengthened with all power, according to Your glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to Your, Father, Who has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For You rescued me from the domain of darkness, and transferred me to the kingdom of Your beloved Son, in Whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
6. Colossians 4:3-4 - “Father, please open up to me a door for the word, so that I may speak forth the mystery of Christ…that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.”
7. Romans 15:13 - “Now may the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing, so that I will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
8. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 - “O, God of peace, sanctify me entirely; and completely preserve my spirit and soul and body, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. You, Who have called me, are faithful, and I know You will bring it to pass.”
9. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 - “God, count me worthy of Your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in me, and I in Him, according to Your and the Lord Jesus Christ’s grace.”
10. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 - “Father, may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and You, Who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen my heart in every good work and word.”
11. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 - “Lord of peace, continually grant me peace in every circumstance. Be with me.”
