This is Part 2 in the series “Prayers in the Bible.” We are looking at prayers that we can use as a template to pray back to God. The idea is to add some inspiration to impassion and grow our prayer lives, because sometimes we get stagnant and repetitive or flippant. The first part focused on the Old Testament and in this part, we focus on prayers in the New Testament you can pray.

5 Benefits of Praying Scripture

You can pray any scripture. It’s easy to turn the truth of God’s word back into praise and thanksgiving. It’s also easy to see where we fail to measure up and need help and repentance.

The benefits of praying scripture are numerous. I just want to share some of my personal experience along with some from God’s Word itself.

1. We learn, meditate, and memorize more scripture. Before prayer, you have to read, understand, and repeat.
2. We spend more time in God’s word which is able to renew our minds. (Romans 12:2)
3. We are praying in alignment with God’s promises and perfect will.
4. We are corrected, rebuked, taught, and trained in righteousness to do good. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
5. We are less anxious, and worried and more at peace and rest. (Philippians 4:6-7)

New Testament Prayers

This is not every single prayer found in the NT. However, it is a list of some that are very inspiration and easy to pattern. Two prayers are from Jesus Himself. I hope you find the same motivation I did through these prayers to pray boldly and passionately for God’s glory and His will to be done.

Mary’s Prayer

Mary’s prayer has been dubbed the Magnificat. It means large and impressive. And, this prayer is definitely that! God had finally spoke after 400 years of silence and the Messiah was coming to save His people.

Mary, a young, humble woman, was chosen by God to be the mother of His son. She does not take this honor lightly. She declares herself God’s servant and pours out this beautiful praise. We should all feel so blessed and humbled to be chosen to be used as one of God’s children.

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
    for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
 He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
 He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

Luke 1:46-55 NIV

Zechariah’s Prayer is also found in Luke 1.

Lord’s Prayer

There are many a commentary and lesson on the Lord’s prayer so I’m not going to attempt to add anything new. But, when Jesus taught the disciples to pray, this is the simple, but powerful prayer that He taught them. It stands to reason then, that is a very important pattern to follow:

• Recognition of God and His authority
• Desire for His will to be done
• Dependency on His provision
• Repentance of sins
• Protection and deliverance from temptation and evil

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us today our daily bread.
 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one

Matthew 6:9-13 NIV

Jesus’s Prayer

In John 17, before going to the cross, Jesus prays on behalf of His disciples and for future believers. This is us! What a great Savior we serve.

He asks His Father for protection, for unity, and for sanctification. Praying in line with Jesus, we can pray on be half of others and ourselves using this chapter as a pattern. I have asked God multiple times as I read the Bible, “Sanctify me by your truth, your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

For His Disciples

Jesus knew it was time to leave His closest followers and friends. His prayer for them shows His overwhelming love and care for these men and His desire for them to grow and succeed in their faith.

 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one…

I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.  I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

John 17:11,13-17 NIV

For all Believers

Jesus’ prayer for us was for unity with Him and among other believers. He also prayed for us to live so that the world knows we belong to Jesus and have His love.

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—  I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

John 17:20-23 NIV

Paul’s Prayers

Throughout Paul’s letters in the New Testament, he prays for the believers in the churches and also asks for prayer from them.

Prayers in Ephesians

Paul has some powerful prayers in the book of Ephesians. This is my go to place to start with any young woman I disciple because it teaches doctrines and disciplines so systematically. And, I focus a lot of our time on the truths that Paul prays over believers. You can pray them for yourself, your children, or others you love.

Ephesians 1

A few prayer points to consider as you read this passage. I hope you will read the entirety of Ephesians 1 and pray through it.

• Enlighten my heart to understand the riches I have in Christ.
• Thank you for the hope that you have called me into.
• Remind me and grow me in the strength of the power that raised Jesus from the grave.

 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. 

Ephesians 1:18-21 NIV

Ephesians 3

Prayer points to pray from this scripture in the New Testament:

• Lord, strengthen me out of your glorious riches so that my faith will grow.
• God, root, establish, and teach me about your vast love so I may be filled with the fullness of Christ.
• Heavenly Father, I know that you are able to do way more than I could ever ask or imagine so help me to pray believing and with bold, confident faith in You.

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 NIV

Prayer in Colossians 1

I will focus this prayer for others so just fill their name in the blank . (Pray this for yourself as well.) Here are some possible prayer points:

• God, fill __________ with the knowledge of your will and understanding through Your Spirit.
• Lord, may _________ live a life worthy and pleasing to You and bear much fruit in good work.
• Heavenly Father, grow ___________ in your strength and power to endure and be patient.
• All praise and joyful thanks to You, God, for qualifying ___________ to share in your kingdom of light by rescuing him/her from darkness into the kingdom of the Son you love!

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:9-14 NIV

More Prayers to Pray from Scripture

Don’t stop here, there is so much power and privilege in praying scriptures.

Old Testament Prayers to Pray

Challenge: 31 Days of Prayer for our Children

7 Scriptures to Pray for Your Son

Prayers for Our Daugthers