Prayer Lists

By Philip Johnson
January 13, 2009

I had the opportunity to look at my grandmother’s prayer list after she

was promoted to glory. I saw my name along with many, many other names
and specific situations that she was praying for at one time. She was known
as a prayer warrior who consistently, dependably prayed for those she
promised that she would. One helpful tip that she used was to keep a
whiteboard in her kitchen with the most urgent prayer requests. Every time
she passed the whiteboard and saw the names, she would pray for those
people.
Another prayer warrior was the apostle Paul. He encouraged the ones on
his prayer list by telling them that he was praying for them and no doubt he
followed through on his promises. He made time to pray. “I ... cease not to
give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers” (Eph. 1:15,16).
“Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy” (Phil.
1:4). “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray
for you” (Col. 1:9). “Wherefore also we pray always for you” (2 Thess.
1:11).
Paul also was not ashamed to request for prayer to be made on his
behalf. His requests often centered on boldness to speak the Word, but he
also prayed for deliverance from unbelievers, ability to make a journey, and
refreshment.
Let us consider Paul’s example and pray consistently and often for the
spiritual needs of each of our prayer recipients along with their many other
needs as well. Doing so will fill our hearts with praise to the One who “ever
lives to make intercession for [us]” (Heb. 7:25).

The Apostle Paul’s Prayer List

The apostle thanked the Lord for the believers in different places (Rom.
1:8; 1 Cor. 1:14; Eph. 1:16; Phil. 1:3; Col. 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:3;
2:13; 2 Tim. 1:3; Philem. 4). In addition, he prayed for the believers that
they might:
(To Saints in Ephesus)
• Be given the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of the
Lord Jesus Christ (1:17).
• Have their understanding enlightened (1:18).
• Know the hope of their calling and the riches of the glory of the Lord’s
inheritance in the saints (1:18).
• Know the exceeding greatness of the Lord’s power toward us who
believe (1:19).
• Be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man (3:16).
• Have Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith (3:17).
• Be rooted and grounded in love (3:17).
• Comprehend the breadth, length, depth, and height (3:18).
• Know the love of Christ (3:19).
• Be filled with all the fulness of God (3:19).
(To Saints in Philippi)
• Have love abounding in knowledge and judgment (1:9).
• Approve things that are excellent and be sincere and without offense till
the day of Christ (1:10).
• Be filled with the fruits of righteousness (1:11).
(To Saints in Colosse)
• Be filled with the knowledge of the Lord’s will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding (1:9).
• Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing (1:10).
• Be fruitful in every good work (1:10).
• Increase in the knowledge of God (1:10).
• Be strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power (1:11).
• Have patience and longsuffering with joyfulness (1:11).
• Have hearts comforted, being knit together in love (2:2).
(To Saints in Thessalonica)
• Be counted worthy of the calling (2 Thess. 1:11).
• Have God’s good pleasure of His goodness fulfilled (1:11).
• Have God’s work of faith with power fulfilled (1:11).
• Have the name of our Lord Jesus Christ glorified in them and they in Him
(1:12).

Paul’s Requests for Prayer

The apostle asked the believers in different places to pray for him that:
(From Saints in Rome)
• He may be delivered from unbelievers in Judea (Rom. 15:31).
• His service may be accepted by the saints in Jerusalem (15:31).
• He may come unto them with joy by the will of God (15:32).
• He may be refreshed with those in Rome (15:32).
(From Saints in Ephesus)
• Utterance may be given to him (Eph. 6:19).
• He may open his mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel
(6:19).
(From Saints in Colosse)
• God would open unto him and his co-laborers a door of utterance to
speak the mystery of Christ (Col. 4:3).
• He may make it manifest as he ought to speak (4:4).
(From Saints in Thessalonica)
• The word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified (2 Thess.
3:1).
• They may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men (3:2).

What would happen if we would make Paul’s prayer list our own and begin
praying like this for each other? It would certainly improve the quality of my
prayers if I did this.