…about praying for each other
As I was praying for several Christian friends, my thoughts turned to the prayers of Paul. I know that he prayed for the lost because he tell us in Romans 9 how he longs for his fellow Israelites to be saved. However as I read Acts and the Epistles, I am struck by the difference in Paul’s behavior toward the lost and the Church. To the lost, both Jew and Gentile, Paul preaches - he proclaims the truth of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension. As the people he preaches to become believers, he moves to teaching, encouragement and prayer. So…he preaches to the lost and prays for the saved!
Two of my favorite prayers are found in Ephesians:
“Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:15-23)
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21)
These prayers focus on the spiritual life of the believer; that they have the knowledge, wisdom, and strength to live as ambassadors for Christ in a fallen and sinful world. As we approach the end of time, these prayers seem very important to me. They are basically prayers that the Holy Spirit will teach us and enable us to abide in Christ. And these are the prayers that I will be praying for my brothers and sisters in Christ as we all endeavor to go forth and proclaim the gospel to the lost and encourage fellow believers.