Pray for Others

Ezekiel 22:30

So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

God wants us to be intercessors.  To stand in the gap.  A city fortified by a wall has a sense of security and protection.  But, if there is a breach, a gap, it becomes vulnerable.  We too have vulnerabilities.  The devil looks for these gaps to attack us.  It may be a weakness, a relationship (a bad one, tension within one, heartache), struggles at work, home, church, health, finances, decisions, feeling guilty or pride, lack of confidence, being complacent or rebellious, sin in your life, and the list goes on.  Do not be afraid to share that vulnerability with someone.  You don’t have to go through it alone.  Also, seek those who are struggling and pray for them.

James 5:13-18

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

There are times when we need help.  Everyone does at one point or another.  When we are part of a church, they are there to pray for you, to encourage you, to guide you.  We are also part of a church so that we can help others and pray for them.  Sometimes ‘church’ is a place to be fed, but more times it is a place to feed.

James 2:15-18

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Sometimes God uses us to answer prayer.  When someone is in need, let us be sure to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us and help that person.  Let us be a blessing to those around us.  And let us not allow our shortcomings to hinder us from showing God’s love toward others.  Remember what Jesus did for us.  He is our intercessor.  He gave everything for us so that we might be saved.  He gave us the Holy Spirit who also prays for us and guides us.  We are saved through what Christ has done.  Let us be like Him and reach out to those around us, wherever it may be, not only at church, but at home, at work, in our neighborhood, communities, wherever God may lead you.

Romans 8:34-35

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

1 John 2:1-2

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Romans 8:26-28

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Paul says to pray without ceasing.  No matter where we are,

or what we are doing, look for people to pray for, even those who we do not get along with, especially the lost.  Let us show love to all.

Matthew 5:43-46

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,  that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  

Romans 12:20-21

Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

If he is thirsty, give him a drink;

For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Our families need our prayer.  We need to intercede for them.  Ask the Lord to protect them, to give them strength, to help them grow, to forgive them, to save them.

Job 1:1-5

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

We should also pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Paul says to pray for all the saints, especially those who are being persecuted.  Pray for the church that we be unified, that we live in a way that honors God, that we are strong as we face spiritual battles, that we remember who God is and what He has done, and the promises that we have through Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:3-6

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.