Question
What should we pray?
Answer
The whole Word of God directs and inspires us in what we should pray, including the prayer Jesus himself taught us.
The whole Word of God directs and inspires us in what we should pray, including the prayer Jesus himself taught us.
The whole Word of God directs us in what we should pray.
Scripture
—Ephesians 3:14–21 (ESV)For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
—Ephesians 3:14–21 (NIV)For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
—Ephesians 3:14–21 (NLT)When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Song
Video
Prayer
Adult
“Gracious and holy Father!… Unworthy we are in ourselves to appear in thy most holy presence, both by reason of the sins of our nature, and the sins of our lives, even since that time that we have had some knowledge of thy blessed truth; which holy truth we have not entertained nor professed as we should have done, but oftentimes against the light that thou hast kindled in our hearts by thy Word and Spirit, we have committed many sins…. But thou art a gracious and merciful Father unto us in Jesus Christ, in the abundance of thy love and mercy. In him we come unto thee, beseeching thee, for his sake, not to give us up to these inward and spiritual judgments; but vouchsafe us a true insight into our own estates, without deceiving of our own souls, and from thence, true humiliation. And then we beseech thee to speak peace unto us in thy Christ, and say to our souls by thy Holy Spirit, that thou art our salvation. And for clearer evidence that we are in thy favour, let us find the blessed work of thy Holy Spirit opening our understandings, clearing our judgments, kindling our affections, discovering our corruptions, framing us every way to be such as thou mayest take pleasure and delight in. And because thou hast ordained thy holy word 'to be a light unto our feet, and a guide and direction to all our ways and paths,' and to be a powerful means to bring us more and more out of the thraldom of sin and Satan, to the blessed liberty of thy children, we beseech thee, therefore, to bless thy word to these and all other good ends and purposes for which thou hast ordained it. And grant, we beseech thee, that now at this time out of it we may learn thy holy will; and then labour to frame our lives thereafter, as may be most to thy glory…for Jesus Christ his sake, thine only Son, and our blessed Saviour. Amen.”
Footnote
Richard Sibbes (1577–1635). An English Puritan theologian, Sibbes was known in London in the early 17th century as ‘the Heavenly Doctor Sibbes.’ Preacher at Gray’s Inn, London and Master of Catherine Hall, Cambridge, his most famous work is The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax.
Attribution
From “The Author’s Prayer Before his Sermon” in The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes, Volume 7 (Edinburgh: James Nichol, 1864), 337.
Child
Gracious Father, in your love and mercy we pray that you would help us to know, by your Holy Spirit, that you are our salvation. We thank you that your Word guides and directs us, leading us out of the power of sin. Help us to learn your will from your Word; and then to practice it in our lives as may bring you most glory. Amen.
Attribution
Derived and adapted from Richard Sibbes’ prayer in “The Author’s Prayer Before his Sermon” in The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes, Volume 7 (Edinburgh: James Nichol, 1864), 337.
“Gracious and holy Father!… Unworthy we are in ourselves to appear in thy most holy presence, both by reason of the sins of our nature, and the sins of our lives, even since that time that we have had some knowledge of thy blessed truth; which holy truth we have not entertained nor professed as we should have done, but oftentimes against the light that thou hast kindled in our hearts by thy Word and Spirit, we have committed many sins…. But thou art a gracious and merciful Father unto us in Jesus Christ, in the abundance of thy love and mercy. In him we come unto thee, beseeching thee, for his sake, not to give us up to these inward and spiritual judgments; but vouchsafe us a true insight into our own estates, without deceiving of our own souls, and from thence, true humiliation. And then we beseech thee to speak peace unto us in thy Christ, and say to our souls by thy Holy Spirit, that thou art our salvation. And for clearer evidence that we are in thy favour, let us find the blessed work of thy Holy Spirit opening our understandings, clearing our judgments, kindling our affections, discovering our corruptions, framing us every way to be such as thou mayest take pleasure and delight in. And because thou hast ordained thy holy word 'to be a light unto our feet, and a guide and direction to all our ways and paths,' and to be a powerful means to bring us more and more out of the thraldom of sin and Satan, to the blessed liberty of thy children, we beseech thee, therefore, to bless thy word to these and all other good ends and purposes for which thou hast ordained it. And grant, we beseech thee, that now at this time out of it we may learn thy holy will; and then labour to frame our lives thereafter, as may be most to thy glory…for Jesus Christ his sake, thine only Son, and our blessed Saviour. Amen.”
Footnote
Richard Sibbes (1577–1635). An English Puritan theologian, Sibbes was known in London in the early 17th century as ‘the Heavenly Doctor Sibbes.’ Preacher at Gray’s Inn, London and Master of Catherine Hall, Cambridge, his most famous work is The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax.
Attribution
From “The Author’s Prayer Before his Sermon” in The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes, Volume 7 (Edinburgh: James Nichol, 1864), 337.
Gracious Father, in your love and mercy we pray that you would help us to know, by your Holy Spirit, that you are our salvation. We thank you that your Word guides and directs us, leading us out of the power of sin. Help us to learn your will from your Word; and then to practice it in our lives as may bring you most glory. Amen.
Attribution
Derived and adapted from Richard Sibbes’ prayer in “The Author’s Prayer Before his Sermon” in The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes, Volume 7 (Edinburgh: James Nichol, 1864), 337.
Commentary
“Great is the profit to be derived from the…Scriptures and their assistance is sufficient for every need. Paul was pointing this out when he said, ‘Whatever things have been written have been written for our instruction, upon whom the final age of the world has come, that through the patience and the consolation afforded by the Scriptures we may have hope.’ (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11) The divine words, indeed, are a treasury containing every sort of remedy, so that, whether one needs to put down senseless pride, or…to trample on the love of riches, or to despise pain, or to cultivate cheerfulness and acquire patience—in them one may find in abundance the means to do so.”
Footnote
John Chrysostom (347–407). Archbishop of Constantinople, John was born in Antioch. He was given the title Chrysostom which means “golden mouth” because of his eloquent preaching. He is recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church as a saint and Doctor of the Church. Chrysostom is known for his Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and his vast homiletical works including 67 homilies on Genesis, 90 on the Gospel of Matthew, and 88 on the Gospel of John (from one of which this quote is taken).
Attribution
From “Homily 37: On John” in The Fathers of the Church: Commentary on Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist: Homilies 1–47 by John Chrysostom, translated by Sister Thomas Aquinas Goggin (The Catholic University of America Press, 1957), 359.
Further Reading
The Conclusion of “The Humanness of Scripture” in A Faith to Live By, by Donald Macleod.