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The apostle Paul offered many prayers to God for the New Testament church. Recorded in his letters to the churches, the Epistles, these prayers are just as powerful and relevant for us today. We can use them in our own prayer lives when we are praying for ourselves or standing in the gap for someone else. Let's take a look at one of those prayers, written to the Church in Ephesus.

"Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power."                 Ephesians 1:15-19

Paul prays that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened, that they would see and understand things they had never seen before. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where no matter how hard you try to figure things out, you just can't land on an answer? You have turned it over in your mind a hundred times, and you are still stuck. Here is the good news: God has every answer you are looking for, and if you will ask Him, He will show you. You can take this very prayer and make it your own.

Simply pray like Paul and say, "Father, give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. Open the eyes of my understanding, that I might be enlightened."

When you ask, God promises He will answer.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

Paul was mightily used by God and carried a tremendous revelation of the Word. The prayers he recorded in Scripture were not just for the churches he was writing to; they were preserved for our benefit. A lot of people struggle with their prayer life. They are not sure what to say or how to ask God for what they need. But when you pray the Word of God, you are praying God's will. And when the Word of God is released through prayer, it carries the power of God into your situation.

"For no word from God shall be void of power." Luke 1:37 (ASV)

I want to encourage you to start weaving Paul's prayers into your everyday prayer life. God has promised in His Word to give you wisdom when you ask, so don't walk around confused, wondering what to do or how to fix what's broken in your life. Go to God and ask Him for help. He will come through for you.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask You to open the eyes of my understanding. Help me to truly know the hope of what You have called me to and to understand what the riches of Your glory and the inheritance of the saints mean for my life. Lord, teach me to pray Your Word and release Your power to move on my behalf. In Jesus name, amen.