We proceed now to the second major class of intercessory prayer passages, the ‘prayer-reports,’ to which the next two chapters will be devoted. At the beginning of most of his letters, in the formal thanksgiving period, the apostle assures his readers not only of his continual thanksgivings for them, but also of his constant intercessions on their behalf, and he indicates briefly some of the contents of his prayers; for example:

I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,… and I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the knowledge of all the good that is ours in Christ. (Philem. 4–6)

In the body of the letters there are reports of prayers by the writer(s) for the readers, by the writer for a third party, or by a third party for the readers; for example:

But we pray God that you may do no wrong…. What we pray for is your improvement. (II Cor. 13: 7, 9b)

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. (Rom. 10: 1)

While they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God in you. (II Cor. 9: 14)

Although the prayer-reports offer somewhat less direct evidence of the apostle's intercessions than do the main wish-prayers, they nevertheless form an important element in our study.