praying for others Archives - Page 2 of 2

“So Peter was being kept in the prison, but the congregation was intensely praying to God for him. “- Acts 12:5

What is the focus of your prayer life? Do you pray more for yourself than for others? Many Christians jump into their prayer life with a grocery list of personal things they want God to do in their life.

While it is proper to bring our personal cares before the Lord, it is of greater importance to pray for others, both the saved and the unsaved. Praying for ourselves and praying for others is something God commands us to do.

Effective prayer for others will bring us closer to God, because effective prayer is based on a Knowledge of His will. It will also bring us closer to others, as we learn more about them and focus on their needs.

Praying for others is important because it fulfills a New Testament command. We are to pray for all people. We are to pray for government leaders. We are to pray for the unsaved. We are to pray for fellow Christians. We are to pray for ministers of the gospel. We are to pray for the persecuted church. Praying for others gets our focus off of ourselves and onto the needs around us. As we “carry each other’s burdens,” we “will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Begin praying for others today and help to build up the body of Christ. It is a great way to grow spiritually, as it takes the focus off of you and onto others.

Thought: As you contemplate your prayer life, ask what gets more of your focus. Is it you or others? One of the best ways to grow spiritually is to focus more on others than on ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, help me to pray more for others than for myself. May I see the needs of others and bring them before the throne of grace and may I grow spiritually in the process.

By John Grant

Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

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‘Then Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Thy book which Thou hast written!” Exodus 32:31-32

The prayer of Moses is remarkable. Moses was not only the leader of Israel, he was an intercessor as well. Ultimately, an intercessor gives up all personal advantage for the sake of those for whom he prays. Moses knew he personally had favor with God. Yet he presented himself as a remarkable portrait of one irreversibly committed to Israel’s transformation. He said, “If Thou wilt, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Thy book.”

Moses said, in effect, that he was not serving for individual gain or glory – this was not about him, but about the people he loved and served, rebellious as they were. The soul of Moses was bound together with the future of Israel. Similarly, we must see ourselves irreversibly bound together with the lives of those we pray for, both family and friends, as well as our community and nation. Moses would not be blessed, honored or pleased apart from the fulfillment of God’s promise to the Hebrews. If God would not forgive them, He could not have Moses either. Israel and Moses had become a package deal.

Have you struggled with situations in your personal life in which you cannot seem to break through? Perhaps you are spending too much time on your needs and not enough time praying for others. Make a prayer list of people with desperate needs, and as you intercede for them, see if the Holy Spirit doesn’t break through for you, too. Indeed, include your enemies and those who have hurt you. Remember the story of Job. When he prayed for his friends, God healed him (see Job 42:10). Intercession not only transforms the world, but also transforms us.

Lord Jesus, I am awed at Your willingness to show mercy. You actually changed Your mind about judgment on sinners because of one man, Moses. Lord, in my world and times, let me be that one who so delights You, who is so intimate with You, that my prayer for mercy outweighs Your judgment to destroy the disobedient. May the favor You have given to me be multiplied to those who yet do not know You, and may it spread until all the earth is filled with Your glory!

By Francis Frangipane