The man who had tried to destroy the Church spent the next thirty years building it. Paul travelled thousands of miles around the Mediterranean, founding churches and writing letters that make up nearly half the books of the New Testament. He was shipwrecked three times, beaten, stoned and imprisoned. Tradition says he was beheaded in Rome under Nero, and he is buried at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls.
Historical Context
A Prayer to St Paul
St Paul, you met Christ on the road and nothing was the same again.
Pray for me, that I may know him as you did.
Give me some of your courage to speak about him,
your endurance in hardship,
and your conviction that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Amen.
For the Conversion of Someone I Love
St Paul, no one was further from Christ than you were.
Pray for (name), who doesn’t know him yet.
Lord, meet them on their road, as you met Paul.
Amen.
For Strength in Weakness
Lord, like Paul, I have a thorn I can’t get rid of.
Let your grace be enough for me,
and let your strength show in my weakness.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- On 25 January, the Conversion of St Paul, which ends the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
- On 29 June, the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul.
- When praying for someone far from God.
- Before sharing your faith.
Scripture Connection
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9
Paul begged three times for his “thorn in the flesh” to be taken away, and God said no. What he got instead was grace, and a lesson that has comforted Christians ever since.
Related prayers
For his fellow apostle, see the Saint Peter Prayer. For his companion Luke, the Prayer to St Luke. For conversion, the Prayer to Be Born Again.