Ephesians Prayer Guide
Using Paul's letter to the Ephesians
by Stanley D. Gale
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 3:20-21
- Ephesians 1:3-6 Praise be to the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual
blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be
holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his
sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the
praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
- pray for fresh awareness of and appreciation for the wonder of God’s electing
love and redeeming grace
- praise God for His incredible mercy to us in Christ
- praise God for the inexhaustible grace He has lavished upon us
- pray that God will give us a profound and painful grasp of our sin that we might
be driven to Christ & renewed in the marvel of His amazing grace
- praise God that we can know Him as “our God and Father”
- pray that we would be compelled to Christ’s service by grace & not guilt
- Ephesians 1:11-12 In him we were also chosen,
having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in
conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to
hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
- praise God for His might & wisdom that directs all events for His purpose
- pray for belief and trust and confidence in God’s providential workings in
all things, including those that don’t make sense to us
- pray for a deeper understanding of what it means for our salvation & the salvation
of others to be “for the praise of His glory”
- Ephesians 1:17-19 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 also 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 the saints, and his incomparably
great power for us who believe.
- pray that we would grow to know our God & Father more intimately
- pray that we would grow to know the certainty & security of our hope
- pray that we would increasingly rest & rely on God’s power at work in
us
- Ephesians 2:1-2, 4-5 As for you, you were dead
in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the
ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is
now at work in those who are disobedient…. But because of his great love
for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead
in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
- praise God for His sovereign, regenerating work in our lives that brought us from
spiritual death to spiritual life
- praise Him for His deliverance of us from the kingdom of Satan
- thank Him again for His love & mercy & grace alone by which we stand
- thank God for abundant life now & the sure hope of eternal life to come
- Ephesians 2:19-22 … you are no longer
foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of
God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with
Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is
joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too
are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
- praise God for His presence, power and provision for us by His Spirit—for
His gifts & abilities to us and to our fellow Christians
- praise God that He is building His church, both where we are & around the world,
rescuing sinners from darkness & bringing them to His light
- thank God for His Holy Word, the Bible, that gives us the solid foundation of truth
from which to grow & serve in knowledge & wisdom
- thank God that He designs to use each of us for His work in this world and especially
in the lives of those around us
- Ephesians 3:16-19 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 saints, 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.
- pray that God will create in us a clean heart & renew a steadfast spirit within
us, from which lives of obedience & delight will flow
- pray that God will more deeply root and establish us in love—love for Him
with all our being, for our neighbor as ourselves, for our brothers & sisters
in Christ, and for those without God and without hope in the world
- pray that God will stir us in the impossible mission of wonder & awe in tracing
out the unreachable boundaries of His love for us in Christ
- pray that knowledge of Christ’s love will not only fill our minds, but fill
our hearts, constrain our wills and compel our service and obedience
- pray that we will live more a life of power than of defeat and doubt
- Ephesians 4:1-3 I urge you to live a life worthy
of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing
with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through
the bond of peace.
- pray that God will help us to embrace & be directed by our identity in Christ,
aware that He has called us to be His & calls us to follow Him
- pray that God will remove the pride that lurks in our hearts and work in us a spirit
of humility, a broken & contrite heart that defers to Him and seeks His will
and glory above our own
- pray that God will help us to love one another from the heart, with the love He
has demonstrated for us and has described to us
- pray that God will help us to be peacemakers and to pursue His heart for unity among
the brethren
- Ephesians 4:11-13 It was he who gave some …to
be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so
that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and
in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure
of the fullness of Christ.
- pray that the elders of the church will be faithful shepherds, guarding and guiding
the flock in the model of the Good Shepherd
- pray for wisdom and diligence for the elders in equipping the members of the church
for their service to Christ as His disciples
- pray that God would work in all of us those servants’ hearts that desire and
expect to be engaged in the work of ministry our Lord has given us
- pray that God would build up the church in spiritual maturity and unity, in active
commitment to Christ in daily life, and in growth as He adds to our number those
He brings to us
- pray that the Spirit of God would mature us in Christ as individuals and as a community
of believers
- pray that those we know & meet would see the evidence of God’s sanctifying
workmanship in our lives—to the praise of His name
- Ephesians 4:29-30 Do not let any unwholesome
talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according
to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy
Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
- pray that we would be constructive in our speech and not destructive
- pray that God would help us to be other-oriented, adopting the attitude of our Lord
Jesus, considering not only our own interests but also the interests of others
- pray that God would give us a keen awareness of His personal presence by His Spirit
and that our sinful & divisive behavior grieves Him
- pray that God would help us to see where we have been self-centered and self-serving,
and to confess and repent of our sin, seeking to change
- Ephesians 5:3 But among you there must not be
even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because
these are improper for God’s holy people.
- pray that God would protect all of us, especially the leaders, from the sexual sin
that dominates and degrades our society today
- pray that God would keep us from the love of money that begrudges God the giving
He wants of us, squelches a spirit of thankfulness, and impedes the ministry of
the church
- pray that God will help us to pursue the life of holiness He desires
- Ephesians 5:15-16 Be very careful, then, how
you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity,
because the days are evil.
- pray that God would make us aware of the present, evil age in which we live that
holds great danger for us, that we might hold fast to Him
- pray that God would grant us a heart of wisdom that begins with fear of the Lord,
and would keep us from the foolish inclinations of our hearts
- pray that God would help us to be good stewards of our time, taking advantage of
those daily opportunities He gives us to serve & honor Him
- pray that God would direct our leaders for directing others in how best to serve
Him & to use the resources He has entrusted to us
- Ephesians 5:21-6:9 Submit to one another out
of reverence for Christ. Wives…, husbands…, children.., fathers…,
slaves…, masters….
- pray that God would strengthen our homes in its roles and relationships, that we
might seek to be the kinds of husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children that He
wants us to be
- pray that we would do all our work—in the home, the workplace, the church—unto
the Lord, sanctifying every part of our lives for His service
- Ephesians 6:10-12 … be strong in the Lord and
in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
- pray for God’s protection of us as individuals, families & congregations
- pray that we would find our strength in the Lord and not in ourselves
- Ephesians 6:18-19 pray in the
Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind,
be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever
I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the
mystery of the gospel,
- pray that we would be devoted to fervent, faithful and expectant prayer
- pray for all of us as messengers & the message we bring of life in Christ
- pray that God would stir us to continual prayer, seeking His glory in all things,
at all times, in all ways
Revised January 2006. Scripture text is from The Holy Bible, New International Version,
© 1984 by International Bible Society.