PRAYING THE APOSTOLIC PRAYERS [EPHESIANS 3:16-19]

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My Journey in Praying Apostolic Prayers

Praying The Apostolic Prayers [Ephesians 3:16-19]

Praying scripture is one of the most powerful tools in prayer. So what does it mean to pray the apostolic prayers in scripture and why do they strengthen our prayers?

My journey praying the scriptures began several years ago when I was asked to spend four hours a week in prayer for a specific church! This might seem like an easy task for some, but in that season my heart carried undefined hurt and unforgiveness towards this church. With hesitancy, I agreed to pray.

I quickly discovered engaging in prayer for the church members was difficult and finding words was even harder. Many times my prayers lasted 10 minutes, definitely not 2 hours.

I began to spend time in silence, asking the Lord for guidance, desiring to know what was on His heart for the church.

Soon the prayers of Paul, specifically in Ephesians, began to almost jump off the page at me. Turning to these scriptures, I began reading these apostolic prayers over and over. I would meditate on them throughout the week, study cross reference scriptures, and then pray them over this church. Over time, my engagement deepened and my prayers went from 10 minutes to almost 2 hours.  I discovered the more I prayed these prayers the more my heart began to align with God’s for His church. Not only did I begin to sense His love for this church but I also began to love the people in a deeper way. What I prayed for the church, I began to see answered in my own heart. I learned to focus on asking God to impart His character instead of asking Him to remove the negative characteristics of the people who had hurt me.

One specific apostolic prayer that deeply impacted my prayers for the church was Ephesians 3:16-18. I would pray for the members, that they would have a revelation of God’s love and experience the love of Christ. That they would see the depth of God’s love for them in every area of their life.

So why do praying the apostolic prayers strengthen our prayers? Because they facilitate unity, impact our emotions, build our faith, and focus on strengthening the church.

I encourage you when you cannot find the right words to pray, whether it is interceding for a family member, a church, or a nation you long to see following Jesus, look to the scripture and allow the Lord to lead you through your own journey with the apostolic prayers.