Paul's Intercessory Prayers

Book excerpt: A study of the communal worship and private prayers of the early Christian Church, in particular the intercessory prayer passages in Paul's seven epistles. Professor Wiles is concerned to discover what these prayers reveal about Paul's ministry and his apostolic strategy. Were his assurances that he was praying continually for his readers merely polite expressions? Were his requests for their prayers sincere and serious? How did this affect his relations with the churches and his influence on them? To answer these questions the book makes a thorough analysis of the prayer passages in the light of ancient epistolary and liturgical style. It places the passages within the structure of each letter, and relates them to the dynamic situation for which each was written.