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(Presented by Lisa Bishop)
A well-known prayer from the apostle Paul is a rich example of the power of intercessory prayer.
Intercessory prayer is the privilege of petitioning God on the behalf of others. We are not concerned with our needs but with the needs of others.
I love praying for people, and when someone tells me they are praying for me I feel loved, seen, and deeply cared for. There have been seasons in my life where the burdens have felt very heavy. I have been anxious, worried, and desperately needing direction and comfort from God. In moments of hardship, inexplicably waves of peace and comfort would come over me and I would feel a sense of “groundedness.” Then I would find out that a friend was praying for me. The prayers of my friends have sustained me and encouraged me in times of difficulty.
You can easily pray for the needs of others. For their health, job, financial issues, marital problems, broken relationships, dreams, desires, and unmet longings. And one of the greatest things you can pray for is their spiritual growth and an increasing love for, trust, and faith in Jesus; along with a growing knowledge of his love for them and his power at work in their lives.
In Ephesians Paul prayed a powerful prayer for believers and one that we can pray as well:
“I pray that out of his glorious riches Christ may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:16-21).
One of the greatest gifts we can give people is the gift of praying for them. Who is someone you can intercede for in prayer? Who is someone you can go to battle for, petitioning God on their behalf? Write their name in your journal and commit to praying for them. See how God works in you and how he meets them as you are faithful in prayer.