In this article I will be sharing 5 apostolic prayers that you can you pray and intercede with. They are all taken from the Bible and will draw you closer to Jesus.
“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” – James 5:16
Do you believe prayer is powerful? That it has the ability to transform you and situations around you? Well, it does! We see this everywhere manifested within the Word of God, church history, and even in the here and now.
God answers prayer! So, today I want to look at apostolic prayer. What it is and ways we can use them to pray.
If you would like to skip around this post you are more than welcome to use this table of content. If not you can read through the content like usual.
What are Apostolic Prayers?
So, what are apostolic prayers? Simply put apostolic prayers are the prayers that Jesus and the apostles prayed and were written down in the New Testaments.
Most of these prayer are for the body of Christ (the Church) and unbelievers to be saved. But most of them can also be used personally in prayer for yourself.
They are a great asset to us as believers as it teaches us how or what we can pray for.
Apostolic preaching cannot be carried on unless there be apostolic prayer. Men of God, before anything else, are indispensable to the furtherance of the kingdom of God on earth.
E.M Bounds
Where Can I Find These Apostolic Prayers?
Apostolic prayers are only found in the New Testament. And out of 27 books in the New Testament 19 of them contain these prayers. Goes to show you the power of prayer!
Just to note some of these verses are not direct prayers spoken but are encouragement for the saints to pray.
If you like these kind of facts about the Bible. Please check out my post on Fun Fact About the Bible.
Now let’s take a look and where we can find these awesome prayers. You can hover over the reference and be able to read the amplified version of those verses.
The Apostolic Prayers of Jesus
- The Lord’s Prayer – Matthew 6:9-13
- Encouragement to pray for the Harvest – Matthew 9:37-38
- Prayer for Against Temptation – Matthew 26:40-41
- Prayer for Justice – Luke 18:1-8
- Prayer for Peter’s Strength – Luke 22:31-32
- Jesus’ Prayer for Believers – John 17:11-26
The Apostolic Prayers of the Apostles
| Acts | •Prayer for boldness with signs and wonders. – Acts 4:24-31 |
| Romans | •Prayer for Israel to be saved – Romans 10:1 • Prayer for the Church to be one – Romans 15:5-6 • A prayer for believers to be filled – Romans 15:13 |
| 1st Corinthians | • Thankful Prayer for the Church and Gifts. 1 Corinthians 1:4-8 |
| 2nd Corinthians | • Prayer for maturity and restoration – 2 Corinthians 13:7-9 • Prayer for the church for grace and fellowship with the Holy Spirit – 2 Corinthians 13:14 |
| Ephesians | • Prayer for a Spirit of wisdom and revelation Ephesians 1:15-23 • Prayer for inner strength so that Christ can dwell in your heart. – Ephesians 3:14-21 • Encouragement to pray – Ephesians 6:18-20 |
| Philippians | • Prayer for God to complete His work in you – Philippians 1:2-7 • Prayer for discernment – Philippians 1:9-11 • Encouragement to pray – Philippians 4:6-7 |
| Colossians | • Prayer for God’s filling, fruit and strength – Colossians 1:9-12 • Encouragement to pray – Colossians 4:2-4 • Epaphras’ Prayer for the church to stand firm and mature – Colossians 4:12 |
| 1st Thessalonians | • Prayer for ministry to have open doors and for love to increase and overflow – 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 • Prayer for sanctification -1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 |
| 2nd Thessalonians | • Prayer for calling – 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 • Prayer for encouragement and strength – 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 • Prayer for gospel to go forth, salvations, and the saints growth spiritually. 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 • Prayer for peace. – 2 Thessalonians 3:16 |
| 1st Timothy | • Encouragement to pray for those in authority 1 Timothy 2:1-4 |
| Philemon | • Prayer for partnership and deepening of understanding. – Philemon 1:4-6 |
| Hebrews | • Prayer for the saints to be equipped. Hebrews 13:20-21 |
| James | • Encouragement to prayer for wisdom. – James 1:5-6 |
| 1st Peter | • Prayer for restoration after persecution – 1 Peter 5:10-11 |
| 2nd Peter | • Prayer to grow in grace and peace. 2 Peter 1:2-3 |
| 3rd John | • Prayer for prosperity. 3 John 1:2 |
5 Apostolic Prayers
All these prayers come from scripture. You can pray them exactly how the apostles prayed them or you personalize them to your liking. These would be great to teach if you are a pastor, minister, or Sunday school teacher.
I will share the verse with you and how I would personalize it. Please feel free to pray it out loud the way you feel led by the Holy Spirit.
Prayer was never meant to be a formula but communication between us and God.
1. Apostolic Prayer – Ephesians 1:15-23
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people,I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. – Ephesians 1:15-23
How to make it personal….
Heavenly Father, I pray today that you would draw me closer to you. And that you would give me a Spirit of wisdom and revelation.
Lord let the eyes of my heart be opened! Let me understand of all that you have for me. Let me walk in your ways and help me to grab hold of everything Jesus has done for me. Give me clarity to my calling in Christ and to fulfill everything you have called me too. In Jesus Name, Amen.
2. Apostolic Prayer – 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command.May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. – 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
How to make it personal….
Heavenly Father, today I want to lift up _______________ (the names of pastors or ministers you know or feel called to pray for) Lord bless their ministries. Help them to preach to gospel to the lost and that many would be saved. Anoint them and draw them closer to you.
Lord, I ask that you would protect ________________ (the name(s) of pastors or ministers) from any attack of the enemy. Cover them, place a hedge of protection over them and deliver them from anything coming against them. That no weapon formed against them shall prosper. And Lord protect them from any temptation that would cause them to stumble. Give them strength, grace, and faith. In Jesus Name, Amen.
3. Apostolic Prayer – Philippians 1:9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. – Philippians 1:9-11
How to make it personal….
Heavenly Father, I ask that you would give me more love. That my love for you and love for others would grow and be deepened. And Lord let me be able to discern all that is good and from You. Let me walk in your light and wash me to be pure and blameless. Help me to walk in the Spirit so that I may bare you fruit. In Jesus Name, Amen.
4. Apostolic Prayer – Romans 15:5-6
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 15:5-6
How to make it personal….
Heavenly Father, today I ask that you would help me to have a heart, mind, and attitude that would bring unity to the body of Christ. Help me to be like glue that would bind those around each other in your love and goodness. And Lord I also pray this for the church. Help us to be united, to stand as one. Remove all disunity, offense, and hurt from the hearts of your people. So that we can be one and bring you glory.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
5. Apostolic Prayer – James 1:5-6
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.- James 1:5-6
How to make it personal….
Heavenly Father, I am in need of your wisdom. Please help me to make wise decisions and to be wise when I am with others. Give me understanding so that I will continue to walk in your ways and bless those around me. I also pray Lord that you would give me the gift of word of wisdom. That I may minister to those around me and help. Thank you Lord that I do not need to doubt that you are going to help me. Keep me steadfast in your ways and truth.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
More on Prayer
If you would like to grow in prayer then check out these posts below. Or you can always visit my prayer page and see all the articles there!
I hope you have learned a from these apostolic prayers.There is so much we can glean from them. But what I really hope for is that these prayers have stirred a passion in you to pray and draw closer to the Lord.
If you would like to share something on your heart or leave a comment. You can do so below. I would love to know what you are learning about the Lord and about prayer.
Melissa is a passionate minister, speaker and an ongoing learner of the Bible. She has been involved in church and vocational ministry for over 18 years. And is the founder of Think About Such Things. She has the heart to equip the saints by helping them get into the Word of God and fall more in love with Jesus. She also enjoys family, cooking, and reading.
She has spoken in churches in California, Oregon, Texas, and Mexico and has been featured in Guidepost Magazine and All Recipes Magazine. Read More…