How To Pray For Other Believers

Sometimes I think we're so overwhelmed when we look at our prayer list that we just wing it. This person is having surgery and is also concerned about how to pay for it. Someone else has children who have strayed, but they're also making some life decisions of their own. Even if we only have a few people on our prayer list, this can be a daunting task. So we just say a couple of lines like "Please touch all my loved ones today, Lord. Give them what they need in each situation."

This may seem like an easy way to take care of your prayer time, but it's definitely not what God intended. We've probably all done it because we're so short on time that praying for specifics for everyone we know would be too much of a sacrifice.

When Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians, he told them exactly how he was praying for them. It wasn't a glossy little verse that asked God for some vague blessings - it was a heart-felt message of how he spoke directly to the Lord about the people he loved so much.

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness. Colossians 1:9-11

When we're praying for other believers, this is a great model of prayer. Paul outlines the truly important things that a Christian needs to live a victorious life. These are the things we need to praying for our friends and family, not rushing through to get to something else.

* That they be filled with the knowledge of God's will.
* For wisdom and spiritual understanding.
* That their walk will please God.
* That their works will be fruitful.
* For a longing to know God more.
* That they will be strengthened with the strength of the Lord.
* For patience.
* For joy.

This seems very basic and very simple, but these are powerful requests that only a powerful God can fulfill. These prayers cover all of the individual situations and build them up to handle whatever they're going through right now. It's amazing how individual and yet how all-encompassing they are at the same time.

Instead of tossing out a few requests and moving on, let's use that power to touch other believers' lives with our requests. Ask, and then see the miracles God has planned.

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