Praying with Paul

So, this is how I've learned to read the Scriptures and pray them as I'm reading.  I'm reading 2 Thessalonians 1 in the NLT and come across verse 3, "Dear brothers and sisters, we can''t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing."

Immediately, I stopped and prayed this verse for myself and for my church, "Father, would you help our faith to flourish and would you help our love for one another to grow."

Then I simply moved to the next verse, but at the end of the chapter Paul spoke of his prayer for them and once again I saw something I needed to pray for myself.  Verse 11-12 says, "So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of His call.  May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.  The the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with Him.  This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ."

Here is how I prayed those verses:

• Father, I'm asking you to enable me to live a life worthy of Your call.
• I'm asking you to give me the power to accomplish all the good things You prompt me to do by faith.
• I'm asking this so that Your Son will be honored because of the way I live.

Praying as I read the Scripture enables me to:

• pray according to His will,
• to stay focused and not daydream,
• and to better understand the Scripture.