“We pray earnestly night and day to see you in person and make up what may be lacking in your faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:10).
Paul the Apostle’s commitment to prayer in support of the church at Thessalonica provides us with a good example to follow. Just as Paul prayed regularly for the church at Thessalonica, the Scriptures provide us with a variety of subjects that should occupy the focus of our prayers. For instance…
Pray that God would be honored: “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9).
Pray for persecutors: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…” (Matthew 5:43-45).
Pray that we would not fall into temptation: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
Pray that God would provide wisdom, revelation, and knowledge regarding Himself: “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” (Ephesians 1:15-17 ESV).
Pray that God would provide us with the knowledge of His will: “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9).
Pray for others: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16 NIV).
Pray for those who are headed for trouble: “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that” (1 John 5:16). (1)
Pray that God would send more people to represent Him and bring others unto Him. “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest'” (Matthew 9:37-38).
(1) See here for more on “…sin leading to death.”