Certainly the apostle Paul prayed for the people to whom he ministered. For the Thessalonians he asked for abounding love and for hearts established in holiness (1 Thess. 3:12-13). He prayed that the Philippians would display love, knowledge, discernment, the ability to approve what really matters, sincerity, blamelessness, and full righteousness (Phil. 1:8-10). For the Colossians he prayed for knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to be coupled with a walk that demonstrated fruitfulness, knowledge of God, and divine strength (Col. 1:9-12). He besought God that the Corinthians would do no wrong, but what was right (2 Cor. 13:7). For the Ephesians he craved a spirit of wisdom and revelation, personal knowledge of God, and open eyes to comprehend their identity in Christ (Eph. 1:16-19). Paul asked God that he might see the Romans personally so that he could impart to them some spiritual gift (Rom. 1:9).

Paul’s prayers were an exercise in spiritual leadership. He prayed for the people under his care. More than that, he let them hear his prayers. They knew that he was praying for them and they knew exactly how he was praying (Kevin Bauder, In the Nick of Time, March 28, 2014).