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The Word of God is filled with loving instruction for our lives today, including prayers inspired by the Holy Spirit and offered over believers by the apostle Paul in his letters to the churches, known as the epistles. These prayers reveal God’s heart for His people and give us language to pray when we don’t know what to say. 

These “Epistle Prayers” found in Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians, such as Eph. 1:15–23, 3:14–21, Col. 1:9–12, and Ph. 1:9–11 invite us not only to read Paul’s prayers, but to make them personal, praying Scripture over our own lives and trusting God to work in us according to His will.

Here is a powerful example of an epistle prayer:

Ephesians 1:15-19 - 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 

In this prayer, Paul asks God to enlighten the eyes of their hearts. In simple terms, he is praying that they would see and understand things they could not see before. This is what makes epistle prayers so meaningful for us today; they speak directly to real-life moments when we feel uncertain, confused, or unsure of what to do next.

Have you ever faced a situation in your life where you truly didn’t know what to do? God has the answers you are searching for, and Scripture assures us that when we ask Him, He will respond. This is why Epistle prayers can become your prayers. You can pray the very words Paul prayed, trusting God to give you wisdom and understanding.

You might pray it like this: “Father, give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. Open the eyes of my understanding, that I may be enlightened.”

When we pray the epistle prayers, we are not just asking God for general guidance; we are speaking His Word back to Him over our own lives. Just as Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesians, we can ask God to give us the same wisdom, understanding, and revelation He promised them. By praying these prayers, we align our hearts with God’s will and invite Him to work His power and truth into our lives. The Scriptures become our guide, and our prayers become a way to partner with God in shaping our hearts and our understanding.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that You would open the eyes of my understanding today. Help me to see and know Your will for my life. I thank You for always hearing and answering my prayers. My trust is in You alone, and I thank You for giving me a spirit of wisdom and revelation, and for helping me grow in the knowledge of You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.