11/06/2024
The importance of praying for others is our subject for thought today. The blessings we receive from praying beyond our own personal needs are great. Pastor E.M. Bounds spoke of this in my morning devotional reading when he wrote these words...
"Victory cannot be achieved for self alone. The cause of God, His saints, their woes and trials, their duties and crosses, all should find a pleading voice in the Christian soldier when he prays.
He dare not limit his praying to himself. Selfish praying is the quickest way to dry up spiritual blessings." - E.M. Bounds
Then, as we contemplate this thought further, we find that scripture reinforces the need for us to place others before ourselves, and, to be in prayer for them... isn’t that exactly what we are doing when we engage in intercessory prayer. Isn’t that what we are doing when we pray for our enemies? Isn’t that what we are meant to be doing in in the United States today following yesterday’s presidential election… Republicans praying for Democrats, Democrats praying for Republicans, and both praying for the leaders, and newly elected leaders, of our country?
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,”
Philippians 2:3-5 ESV
When we neglect to place others before ourselves in prayer we are placing our own spiritual health at risk. By prayerfully placing our personal passions before the needs of others we are demonstrating selfishness before the Lord. Yes, it is appropriate to ask for those things we need, but by placing the needs of others before our own we are emulating the life of Jesus.
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
James 4:3 ESV
Ask for the prayers of others and give them yours in return. Paul asked for prayer in every letter because he knew that those prayers not only helped him and his mission, but increased God's blessings on those who prayed for him. Listen to the words he wrote to the Thessalonians as he first asks for their prayer and then told them that God would guard them.
“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”
2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 ESV
This week let's make every effort to place others before ourselves in prayer. Let's lift up the needs of our neighbors before we go to the Lord with our own... let's not just do this in words but by placing our hearts in our prayers. Then, as we pray throughout the week, let's expect God's blessing on both those for whom we pray, and ourselves.
“And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”
Job 42:10 ESV
This morning I pray for you and ask that you pray for me. I pray for you with the wonderful words of Paul as he prayed for the Ephesians...
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV
And this morning I pray for my enemies by asking God to do for them what He told Israel He would do for them in the book of Ezekiel when they had strayed…
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations.”
Ezekiel 36:26-31 ESV
So now, let’s continue our prayers, and may God bless us each in them, such that the lost will be found, those who have been taught false doctrine will be enlightened by the Spirit to the true Word of God, and the saints shall find their faith, righteousness, and holiness, has been increased.
Prayer:
Thank you Father for hearing our prayers for those we see, and have called out as our enemies, and asked that you wash clean in the blood of Jesus Christ. Thank you father for granting us introspection into ourselves, even as we pray for others, and hear us as we ask also that we too be made perfect, faithful, and righteous before you. Bless us Lord as we pray for those who are lost, and as we ask that you bless them with new lives, transformed by the gospel of Jesus, and your Holy Spirit. Do this Lord that they might be redeemed, sanctified, and that our nation will be made whole by our faith and worship of you together with them as one. Do all of this so that we will be one people, of a single mind, and so that you will be glorified. Open the eyes of those who sacrifice their children, those who sin against their bodies, and those who perform so many other atrocities, and abominations, before you. But, open ours also, and let us realize that we too are sinners, and likewise abominable, having likewise told a lie. Which one of us can say that we have never told a falsehood during our lives and had to seek your forgiveness? Merciful and full of grace are you Father for you forgive us and tell us to go and sin no more. Do we believe that you do this for us, but that it is beyond your ability, or desire, when it comes to our wayward neighbors, countrymen, and enemies? Father forgive us today, and forgive those who detest us, war against us, or behave in ways that we do not believe are right in your eyes. Be merciful to the lost Father because there too was I before you drew me to you, and you opened my eyes to who I was, and needed to become in Christ. Praised be your name for the love that you have placed within us, and for showing us how it has the power to heal us, heal our nation, overcome sin, and give us life everlasting… all this is possible if we will only pray, and love as you do.
Glorious are you, and blessed be our enemies who come to know you, and share transformed lives in Christ with us.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 22:1-5 ESV
Rich Forbes