Praying with Paul

1 Corinthians 1:10-13



Dear Father, to whom I owe full obedience,
Let my attitude be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who made himself nothing and obeyed you, even in the matter of dying.
May I humbly and obediently exalt Jesus, even as you have exalted him and given him a name that is above every name, that every knee should bow and every tongue confess - to your glory, our God and our Father.
In the name of Jesus Christ, the source of our unity and salvation, I ask...

 

1 Corinthians 1:10-13



Dear Father, the one and only God of your one holy people,
Help me never to be part of any division within the body of Christ. Let me be perfectly united in mind and heart with all who follow you. Help me not be some kind of -ite, -ist, or -anian. Keep me from misplacing my loyalties with this man or that!
Christ, of whom I am part, is not divided. He is of one mind. So let me and all his people be together and in agreement. Let us be like-minded...

 

1 Corinthians 1:4-9



Dear Father, my faithful God,
Thank you now and forevermore for the grace which you gave in Christ Jesus. In every way you have enriched me in all speech and all knowledge - even as the testimony of Christ has been confirmed before my eyes - so that I am not lacking in any spiritual gift, as I, along with all my brethren, wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You are my faithful God. It is you who have called me into fellowship with your...

 

Romans 16:1-27



Dear Father, my strength,
I bless you for the multitudes of believing people who have gone before me, for those named in the Bible whose examples of love and loyalty to you I would like to imitate.
Help me to be a helper, to work hard and to be approved like they were. Never let me be among those who create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine of your word.
Help me be wise about what is good and guileless about what is evil, that...

 

Romans 15:30-33



Dear Father, giver of joy and refreshment,
Help us strive together in our prayers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of the Spirit, for every person who is proclaiming your word in difficult circumstances and places.
Be with them. Deliver them from their enemies. Let them find full acceptance among your holy people. Let them find joy and refreshment in their company.
In the name of Jesus we ask, praying with all our hearts that Israel according to the...

 

Romans 15:25-29



Dear Father, God of Israel,
Give us generous hearts toward the Jewish people throughout the world. "They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, the promises, and the patriarchs; and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ."
We know that "as regards the gospel, they are enemies of God" for our sake, but "as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their...

 

Romans 15:1-8

Dear Father, God of steadfast love,

May the strength you give us be used to bear with the failings of those who are weak, not to please ourselves, but to please our neighbor for his good, to build him up.

In this let us imitate Jesus, your Son, who did not please himself, but lived as it was written of him, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."

May you, our Father, the God of steadfastness and encouragement, grant us Christians to live in such...

 

Romans 14:17-23

Dear Father, giver of brotherly love,

How wonderful that your kingdom, your rule in people's lives, is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. May I, in serving Christ this way, be acceptable to you and approved by others.

Let me and all the members of your family pursue what makes for peace and for mutual uplifting. Let none of us, for the sake of personal rights, destroy your work of grace in someone else. Help us...

 

Romans 14:13-16

Dear Father, to whom all will bow,

Help me not pass judgment on others or despise them. Let me look to myself in view of the fact that I will have to give an account for my own self.

You have said, "As I live every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." Let me praise you now before the day of your judgment. Let my praise be willing and not forced.

Help me never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother or sister in...

 

Romans 14:1-16

Dear Father, foundation of all our lives,

Make me compassionate and generous toward my brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us welcome each other, and not dispute over opinions. May I never pass judgment on a brother or sister, for you have welcomed them. They are your servants. It is before you that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for you are able to make them stand.

Let us be fully convinced in our own minds about honoring certain days, or about eating...