Praying the Promises

By Terry Wardle

Years back I heard Armin Gesswein say that prayer is most powerful when you pray the promises. That is a life changing principle. Armin would encourage us to take a passage of scripture that held within it a direct or indirect promise of the Father, and pray it, bible open and heart lifted before the Lord.

There is a particular promise based prayer that I keep in the back of my prayer journal and lift before the Lord all the time. It is based on a set of scriptures that represent the deepest cry of my heart. The text is Ephesians 3:14 – 21. It is a familiar passage and in fact a prayer of Paul for all the followers of Christ. I encourage you to go there now and read the text.

Here is the prayer I lift before the Lord based on the wonderful passage of scripture. Maybe you will find it helpful for you.

Dear Father, please, in the name of Jesus, hear my prayer.

• Strengthen me by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Fill my heart this day with Jesus.
• Root me firmly in your deep and wide love.
• Help me believe in your immeasurably more.
• Imagine your immeasurably more.
• Ask for you immeasurably more.
• Let this flow from the infilling Presence of the Holy Spirit within me.
• May I bring you glory.
• Forever and ever, amen.