I don’t know about you, but there are times when my thoughts feel jumbled—especially when I pray. In those moments, I find it helpful to turn to the prayers given to us in Scripture. These inspired prayers not only give us words but also provide structure and focus for our own conversations with God.

The Lord’s Prayer is the most well-known example, taught by Jesus himself to guide his disciples. The Psalms, too, have been given to the Church as a rich collection of prayers that speak to the full range of human experience.

In this article, however, I want to reflect on the prayers of the Apostle Paul. Drawing from Sinclair Ferguson’s Things Unseen, Paul’s prayers help teach us both the shape of our praying and the shape of our living as followers of Christ.

So what do we learn from the “shape” of Paul’s prayers?

1. Our prayer is shaped by the Triune God.
   Just as our salvation comes from the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit, so our prayers follow this same pattern. We pray to God the Father, through Jesus the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit (see Romans 1:8; Ephesians 1:16). Paul’s prayers remind us that prayer is not just a spiritual discipline—it’s participation in the life of the Trinity.
2. Our prayer is shaped by the gospel.
   As we’ve been studying Paul’s letter to the Philippians together as a church, we’ve seen that Paul’s prayers consistently point toward gospel purposes. He prays for spiritual growth in love, knowledge, and wisdom—not just for personal enrichment, but for the sake of proclaiming and defending the gospel (Philippians 1:3–11). The content of our prayer, then, is shaped by God’s mission in the world.
3. Our prayer is shaped by who God is.
   Paul prays in light of God’s character. Because God is “the God of hope,” Paul prays that believers would abound in hope through the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). Because He is “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” Paul lifts up those who are afflicted, asking that they would experience divine mercy and comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3–7). Who God is shapes what we ask of Him.
4. Our prayer is shaped corporately.
   While we rightly pray for individuals, Paul’s prayers are often addressed to entire churches. His use of “you,” “your,” and “we” emphasizes the collective nature of Christian life and prayer. In Paul’s pattern, prayer is something we do together—for one another and as the body of Christ.
5. Our prayer is shaped by a desire for God’s glory.
   At the heart of Paul’s prayers is a longing for God to be glorified. Whether he’s praying for unity among believers (Romans 15:6), or for God to do more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), his ultimate goal is that God would be honored and exalted.

These are just a few of the ways Paul’s prayers can shape our own. I encourage you to spend time reading them, meditating on them, and letting them guide your own prayers. As we do, we not only learn how to pray—we learn how to live as disciples of the Lord.