How to Pray for One Another
Begin with Jeremiah People clip about prayer requests from the album First Love
Fortunately our prayer request time is not Looney toons like that.
A common form of prayer is “intercessory prayer.” That is praying on behalf of someone and their need. It could be…
• Health issues
• Mental issues
• Relationship problems
• Temptations or even sin
It is one of the ways, as Gary read from Galatians 6:2 that we carry one another’s burdens. Prayer is not the only way, but it is an essential element in our caring.
In the moments of Jesus’ greatest fears and anguish, he prayed and encouraged his disciples to pray – Luke 22:39-40
Later Jesus prayed that we would all be one – John 17:18-21
Jesus is our intercessor – Romans 8:34 & Hebrews 7:25
Jesus knows the mercy that we need.
Now then – Paul tells us to pray for all people – 1 Timothy 2:1-2
And James tells us to pray so that people will be healed – James 5:16
This is where we are at now:
1) THIS IS A LOVE ONE ANOTHER MOMENT
Jesus entered Jerusalem the Sunday before his crucifixion and death. We call it the “triumphal entry.” It was a triumphal entry of humility, grace, mercy and love because he would become the one and only, once and for all sacrifice for sin.
He went to the Temple, entered through the Golden Gate and saw the money-changers robbing the people and he cleansed the temple, turning over money tables, setting animals free and reminding everyone that the Temple is to be a house of prayer to God. He cleansed the Temple of greed and contempt for the true faith in God.
On Monday, Jesus was challenged by Jewish leaders about this event the day before. “By whose authority did you do this?” Good question. Jesus had the authority; it was his as the Son of God. The ruling class, the Sadducees wanted Jesus dead, the Pharisees just wanted Jesus to be silent and after he had silenced the Sadducees, a Pharisee asked Jesus a questioned that teachers debated regularly.
In the lesson on the greatest commandment, Jesus gave a second great command, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Be good too, care for, seek their benefit and welfare of your neighbor, those around you.
But in the upper room, a few days later during the Passover meal with his disciples, the Last Supper, Jesus tells them, “Love as I have loved you!”
That’s an emphatic statement. You must do this. It is more than simply love your neighbor as yourself, it is more than be helpful, it is give them your life. Love at its very core is sacrificial. Giving up your life for God’s glory through the loving care you show your brothers and sisters in Christ.
So in application, the first thing is to lift people up in prayer. Praying for each other is one of the ways you love each other.
• Jesus did
• Others have
• We are
I want you to do two things today. 1st – Look around you and see those closest to where you are seated. Pray for them this week. Even ask them if there is anything specific you can pray for them. 2nd – Take the list of prayer needs in the bulletin and spend 5 minutes every day this week praying for them.
2) WHAT TO PRAY FOR YOUR CHRISTIAN BRETHREN
Here’s the practical part of the message. You may want to take notes because this is going to be good. It’s simple, but it’s good!
There are almost Scriptures we could refer to with things to pray for each other. Look them up. Pray them. The orangeish-peach colored insert gives you some of those scriptures. Refer to that to help you.
But I want give you 7 things to pray for your Brethren and if we are all praying in such a way, our prayers might not be so confusing. What do I mean by that! I wonder how Cubs fans prayed for a championship against the Indians and how many Cleveland fans prayed for a championship against Chicago. Let’s get on the same page and we can adjust and learn and grow as we go, but let’s start here.
1. Pray from the heart – truly care about the people you are praying for, even praying with emotion. Empathize with their problems and their pain, hurt with them in prayer and the Holy Spirit will translate it accurately to God the Father.
- Learn to love the one you pray for so you will care about them
- Mean what you pray, even if you aren’t sure you are being accurate. The Spirit is helping in this area especially.
- Let me give an example of heart-felt prayer – Hannah, Samuel’s mother in 1 Samuel 1:10 & 13
2. Pray Regularly – You know that needs are regular. Concerns come often. Temptations are constant. We all need help through these sort of difficult circumstances. Just like you need regular prayer from Christians, they need regular prayer from you.
3. Pray in Detail – Whatever detail you know, express that to God. And you may not know any more than someone is struggling with a sin, or that their marriage is on the rocks, or what someone’s surgery is, pray about it in as much detail as you can.
4. Pray with Faith – Jesus tells to pray believing we will receive in Mark 11:24 & Matthew 21:27. If you have doubts, God knows you don’t trust him. Trust him completely to answer your prayers.
5. Pray with Love – Before you say, “we know, we know Jeff,” let me warn you, Christians don’t always approach everything and everyone with love. The love of Christ should permeate our lives: thoughts, feelings, deeds, words, etc. Remember love is sacrifice, so . . . be ready to pray for a while, either lengthy periods of time or regularly going to God repeatedly until he gives his answer. Love and Christ loved you. It may mean you step out and help in ways you never imagined or others every considered.
6. Pray Fervently – The word fervent sounds like some sort of farming or agricultural term to me. But it means have or displaying a passionate intensity. Jesus’ prayer in the garden was an extremely fervent prayer. James 5:16, the prayers of a righteous man is powerful and effective has the mood of fervency to it. Get into it!
7. Pray with Desire to Help (where we can) – Are you ready to get off your knees and jump in and help. Encouragement: cards, texts, emails, visits, call them, let them know they are not alone in their distress that you are praying for them. It could be helping them prepare for any number of things.
Concluding Thoughts
You know that nothing I have shared with you has been comprehensive. There can be much much more to the how to’s but the thing, we learn, we grow, we expand our understanding and our participation and follow the Spirit of God as he leads through all that the Bible gives us.
The Bible gives us accounts of people interceding for others:
- Abraham interceded for Sodom (Gen. 18:23-33)
- Daniel repented for the people of Israel (Dan. 9:3-19)
- Peter prayed for Dorcas to come back to life (Acts 9:36-42)
- And we read about Paul’s prayers of intercession all over the NT
But one I’d like to address is Moses and Israel. On more than one occasion, beginning with Israel making the golden calf idol (Exodus 32:9-14). Moses led an obstinate people. People who were selfish, even narcissistic, failing to trust and be faithful to God days after God did incredible things for them, like protecting them from Pharaoh and crossing the Red Sea. If hadn’t been for Moses’ continue faith in God and his constant intercession, we can only speculate what would have happened to Israel.
In his book Stories for the Journey, William White tells of a European seminary professor and his wife, Hans and Enid. During WW2 they escaped to America, where Hans began teaching in a seminary. Students loved this Bible teacher, and they enjoyed observing the tender love that Hans and Enid displayed as the couple often walked hand in hand around campus.
Enid's unexpected death send Hans into a pit of sorrow. The seminary president and 3 other friends began visiting Hans, but he remained lonely and depressed. "I am no longer able to pray to God," Hans confided to them, "In fact, I am not certain I believe in God anymore."
After an awkward moment of silence, the seminary president responded, "Then we will believe for you. We will pray for you."
In the following weeks the 4 men met daily to pray with Hans, asking God to help Hans experience God's presence and healing. Months later, as the 4 men gathered again in Hans's living room, Hans greeted them with a smile. "It is no longer necessary for you to pray for me," he said. "Instead, I would like you to pray with me."
Preacher, Charles Bent said, “Intercessory prayer might be defined as loving our neighbor on our knees.
It seems to me that maybe, one of the goals that Forsyth Christian Church should aim for is an intercession prayer group that not only prays for people in need, but regularly prays with them. I might add that to my list of goals for the next few months.
If you truly love believers, you will pray for them. If you love them, you will pray with them. And their love for you will also be expressed in prayer.
Pray for one another!
