Praying for Others
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. JAMES 5:16
Every once in a while, I find myself praying and thinking mostly of myself. It’s easy to do, especially when we know what we’d like or need. Others may ask us to pray for them, or we tell them we’ll pray for them when we hear of a not-so-great situation, but sometimes it’s hard to remember to pray for them beyond that moment when we tell them we will.
When we think about boldly living out the life God created for us, we think about ourselves, but our lives are full of so many people. What if we pray for others too? This may look different for everyone. The girl who has yet to find her soulmate might pray for her future husband and in-laws. Another person might pray for a future boss to help lead her well. Someone else might pray for their child’s teacher in school, or a friend, spouse, parent, or even for a stranger who passes by.
Whatever the case, coming to God in prayer for others is what we’re called to do—including praying for our enemies.
Let’s think about what Jesus had to say about this issue in Matthew 5:44: “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This one is tough to do. It is human nature to feel that those who have harmed us in some way are unworthy of our prayers. Jesus teaches us to look at it differently, to understand that grace is never about how much we deserve. It is always a gift.
GO FOR IT!
Who is in need of prayer today? You could choose different people each day, really thinking about what they need and bringing those needs to the Lord. Also, try to think of some “enemies” you can pray for—genuinely. Maybe it’s someone from your past whom you haven’t forgiven yet, or someone who cut in the line in front of you today. You may not know what they need, but God does!
This is an excerpt from Go For It: Boldly Live the Life God Created For You by Melissa Horvath – a new devotional journal now available for pre-order on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.
