God is the judge and the jury. Paul urges us “that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2, emphasis added throughout). Moses turned down God’s offer to make a nation out of Moses’ descendants, and persuasively begged for God’s mercy for God’s name’s sake. “Do It Anyway” by Mother Teresa. The Bible gives many examples of people praying for others, and we can learn a lot by studying and meditating on these examples. Jesus Christ even commanded, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44, emphasis added). You see, these bullies we encounter on a daily basis are plagued by one or several of those emotions. Jesus Christ is our Intercessor (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). Hebrews 10:24-25 shows some of the responsibilities and benefits of Christian fellowship: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”, Study more about fellowship in our article “Christian Fellowship.”. Here are just a few examples of intercessors in the Bible: Abraham interceded for the people of Sodom for the sake of his nephew Lot (Genesis 18:23-33). We should resist the urge to give them the satisfaction of a response to their behavior. The next time we encounter a “hater” let’s remember this quote: “Haters gonna hate, but I will just keep on LOVIN’ them to Christ!”. Also, intercessory prayer is not something we should do to try to earn points with God so we can collect when something bad happens to us. For more about prayer, see the articles in the section “How to Pray.”. (For more about faith, study the scriptures in our article “What Is Faith?” and the other articles in that section.). Why does God want us to pray for others? He is at our side and can sympathize with our weaknesses, and He makes it possible for us to receive the mercy and help we need when we approach the “throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:15-16). All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version (© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.). Or there may simply be a miscommunication between the two of you that needs to be sorted out. No, we can’t delegate prayer. Founder of the Rising and Shining Community, please share life with us at www.ErinBrownHollis.com. They find the successes of others intimidating. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. Many find it helpful to make a list of the people and situations they plan to pray for. to help give you the best experience we can. Daniel begged God for his people (Daniel 9:3-19). It was never between you and them anyway. Remember that names on a prayer list represent real people with deep needs, struggles and feelings. God is the judge and the jury. How Should a Christian Deal With the Coronavirus Pandemic? Pray for others with love. It is His favor and His alone, that we seek. From there he boldly but humbly asked about 45, 40, 30, 20 and finally 10, and God answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” Though God did not find 10, He fulfilled Abraham’s intent by sparing Lot and his family. This will naturally provide many things our brethren are facing that we can pray about. They could be carrying unrelated emotional baggage. or. This might include physical help and encouragement. Pray for others with faith, knowing that God has all power and loves the people we are praying for. Pray for them anyway. Print subscriptions available in U.S., Canada and Europe, Article URL: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/prayer-fasting-and-meditation/how-to-pray/intercessory-prayer/, Spiritual Needs to Pray for From Psalm 119. Prayer is part of our personal relationship with God, and so we must go to Him fervently ourselves, whether or not others are praying for us. In the Bible He tells us how we can pray most effectively—in a way that pleases Him. God wants us to think like He does, and praying for others helps us to think beyond ourselves and to grow in compassion for others.God can and does act when the time is best, whether one person or a million people pray about it. We should pray for our needs and the needs of others every day. (See our article “Prayer From the Heart” for more about this.). if you feel like you have received a no from God, then I want to share this with you in hopes of opening your eyes to the bigger picture and the positive side of no. Let’s forgive them, even without an apology, as Christ did on the cross when He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). Learn More About Prayer, Fasting and Meditation. If we take a kind approach with those who are unkind, eventually we will wear them down or they will get bored with not receiving a reaction and move on. In what is often called the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus told us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11; see “The Lord’s Prayer”). God compares prayer with sweet-smelling incense that pleases Him (Revelation 5:8). They are looking for a reaction. How about when you shared exciting stories about your loved ones and felt that others were disinterested or belittling of your journey. O Lord, listen and act! It’s next to impossible not to smile back. We need to remember that the “hate” we experience is not about us. We should: Pray for others from the heart, with deep feeling and sincerity. God designed His Church so brethren can grow as a Christian family that supports each other. See more ideas about Quotes, Words, Inspirational quotes. But these “haters” have taken it to a whole new level. Everyone has critics in life. When a situation is very serious or hits close to home for you, you may decide to fast and pray to draw close to God to present your supplication to Him. Sign up to receive the week's latest articles, blog posts and updates. What would you have prayed about when facing torture and death? We can pray for God to intervene and in the meantime, lean on Him for strength. They voluntarily and intentionally try to bring harm to another through their words or actions. Even though it can seem unbearable to deal with the criticism, negativity or hurt that others’ bring into our lives, we can make efforts to change the cycle. Some may not request prayers, but our care for them can lead us to pray for them as well. Jesus did not just focus inward, but by His words and His prayers (John 13-17) showed that He wanted love and joy and peace and patience and all the fruit of God’s Spirit for His followers. The apostle Paul encourages us to intercede (pray) for Church members and ministers, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains” (Ephesians 6:18-20). If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. People will attempt to rob you of your joy. Used by permission. People will attack you. For some reason, these individuals have become desensitized to the feelings of others. These individuals tend to lack self-esteem. Pray for others occasionally with fasting. Consider that God loves each of them and wants us to have the same outgoing concern. It’s fascinating to see what was on Jesus’ mind as He prayed, not only for Himself (Luke 22:41-42), but for His disciples and for us: “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. Intercessory prayer is not a numbers game. Faith reminds us that God knows what is eternally best for each person, and that even if God does not answer in the way we want at the time we want, we can trust He has all of our best interests in mind. These situations also lead us to “sigh and cry” and pray fervently for God’s Kingdom to come (Ezekiel 9:4; Matthew 6:10). Perhaps you got a promotion at work and someone was less than complimentary or upset about it. So we are even to pray for government leaders and others who may not know we exist and who haven’t asked us to pray for them. Succeed anyway. Can a person ask other believers to pray for him or her and then find it unnecessary to pray himself or herself? What should you include on your prayer list? These days, it’s too easy to hide behind a computer screen while wreaking havoc on even the least suspecting victims. Married to my high school sweetie for 30yrs. Pray for others fervently—with intensity, zeal and passion. View Contact Info and Privacy Policy, Please enable Javascript and disable your adblock to view this page, 3 Things I Would Tell My Younger Self About Relationships, Text TPW to 31996 to join our VIP Text List! People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. You may unsubscribe any time. I’m unsure who should be credited with coining the phrase, “Haters Gonna Hate”, But I hear people use it all the time: in the grocery store, at school, even at church! What about the person seeking prayers? We are only responsible for our own actions and reactions. God does not have to wait until 10 or 20 or 100 people pray about a situation in order to intervene. People will try to hurt you. Pray for others in detail. Extend grace anyway. What Can We Learn From Daniel’s Passionate Prayer. The next time we encounter someone with unkind words or malicious intent, let’s remember that their words and / or actions are of no consequence in the bigger picture of life. Daniel’s passionate and meaningful prayer ends with his plea, “O Lord, hear! The apostle Peter prayed for the beloved Dorcas, and God even raised her from the dead (Acts 9:36-41). This could be manifested in un-requited friendships with other women, missed opportunities for promotion at work, or even direct engagement of hate from another.