What is the purpose of praying for others, and is it even needed? That may sound like a dumb question, but it is one that many may even contemplate. With so much evil in this world, do our prayers really reach heaven?
Does God hear them, and if He does, will He answer them? Let us take a moment to look over some Scripture that may help in answering our own questions.
Previously, Samuel had anointed Saul as king, and the people of Israel had accepted him. Soon after, Saul defeats the Ammonite army. Now, Samuel is reminding the people of God’s blessings.
Is neglecting to appeal to God for others a transgression? Samuel’s words appear to show that it is. His activities show two of God's people’s liabilities.
Why Are We Called to Pray for Others?
To start with, they ought to consistently pray for other people (Ephesians 6:18), and second, they ought to show others the correct way to God (2 Timothy 2:2).
Samuel could not help but contradict the Israelites' desire for a king, yet he guaranteed them that he would keep on appealing to God for themselves and instruct them.
We might not agree with somebody about some non-specific issue; however, we should not quit appealing to God for the person in question.
Samuel likewise became aggravated with Saul since he was searching for a tactical solution to his concerns rather than a spiritual one. Saul frequently conducted spiritual roles out of obligation as opposed to from his heart.
We should be certain that our service is dependent on our love for God and other believers and not simply out of obligation. Samuel was trusting that God would answer his requests and change Saul.
In Matthew 6:5-13, Jesus teaches about prayer. Specifically, verses 9-13 are frequently called the Lord’s prayer, as it was given to the first disciples.
The part that states, “Thy will be done” does not imply that we are surrendering to destiny; however, we are supplicating that God's sacred purpose will be achieved in this world as in the following,
God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you (Romans 1:9).
Whenever we pray persistently about a concern or worry, we should not be astounded at how God replies. Paul had prayed to see the Christians in Rome so that he could give them instruction. When he, at last, showed up in Rome, it was as a prisoner (Acts 28:16).
Paul petitioned God for protected travel, and he showed up securely, subsequent to getting captured, insulted, wrecked, and bitten by a harmful snake. God's approach to noting our requests is frequently distant from what we anticipate.
When we pray earnestly, God will reply, albeit some of the time with different timing and in manners that we do not anticipate.
How Do We Pray Without Ceasing?
What Paul is saying is that he prays for his readers, the Christians in Rome, “without ceasing.” For this situation, we ought to take “without ceasing” to imply routinely and continually.
This does not actually mean every moment that we are awake, obviously, but rather, it infers that Paul does not stop for days from petitioning God for whatever the circumstance is, and it is essential to him that his readers know this.
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).
“Confess your sins” can be deciphered as confess your transgressions. Christ has made it workable for us to go straightforwardly to God for absolution, however, admitting our wrongdoings to each other still has a significant position in the existence of the church.
In the event that we have trespassed against an individual, we should request that the person in question excuse us. Assuming our transgression has impacted the church congregation, we should admit it openly.
If we want affectionate support as we battle with transgression, we should admit it to the people who can offer that help.
In the wake of admitting a private sin to God, and we do not feel His absolution, we might wish to admit that wrongdoing to a friend in faith and hear the person reassure us of God's absolution.
In Christ's Kingdom, each believer is considered a priest to others (1 Peter 2:9). We should help other people come to Christ and tell them of Christ's pardoning.
The Christian's most impressive asset is correspondence with God through prayer. The outcomes are frequently more noteworthy than what we naturally suspect is conceivable. Certain individuals consider prayer to be a final retreat to be attempted when everything else fizzles out.
This is in reverse order. Prayer ought to start things out. Since God's power is boundlessly more noteworthy than our own, it only legitimizes our dependence on it, particularly on the grounds that He urges us to do as such.
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives (Colossians 1:9).
Once in a while, we might wonder how to appeal to God for fellow believers and other church leaders whom we have never met. Paul had never met the Colossians, yet he loyally appealed to God for them.
His requests show us how to pray to God for other people, regardless of whether we know them. We can ask that they comprehend God's will, that they gain spiritual insight, that they respect, honor, and please God, and that they do kind things for other people.
That they get to know and understand God increasingly better, that they are loaded up with the strength of God, that they persevere in the faith, that they stay brimming with the delight of Christ, and that they are always appreciative and thankful.
All Christians have these fundamental requirements. When we do not have the foggiest idea of how to petition God for somebody, we ought to look at Paul's prayer for the Colossians.
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).
Nobody should, at any point, believe that he or she is absolutely autonomous and does not require help from others, and nobody ought to feel pardoned from the undertaking of helping other people.
The body of Christ, the all-inclusive church, works best when the individuals cooperate for the benefit of all. Is there somebody close to us who may need assistance with undertaking day-to-day living?
Is there a Christian sister or brother who needs to have the space for accountability? We ought to contact that individual modestly and delicately (John 13:34-35).
Any individual who feels that they are excessively occupied to help other people needs to take a step back and rethink themselves. They might be thinking that their own work is too important to consider anyone else.
What Does This Mean?
Our prayer life should be out of true Christian love for other people, regardless of if they are a believer of Christ or not. We should not allow ourselves to become so heavenly-minded that we are no earthly good to anyone.
It may be that our prayers might bring blessings to ourselves as well as to the ones for which we are praying. But we should also be mindful that we do not become excessively boastful about our prayer life. We need not become like the Pharisees (Luke 18:9-14).
For further reading:
What Can We Learn about Prayer from the Life of Jesus?
Does God Expect Us to Pray without Ceasing?
Prayers in the Bible: Scripture Quotes about Praying
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This article is part of our prayer resources meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
Prayers for Healing
Morning Prayers
Prayers for Family
Prayers for Surgery
Prayers for Strength
Night Prayers Before Bed
Prayers for Protection
The Lord's Prayer: Our Father
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