My wife, Linda, and I have prayed for others throughout our marriage. This is one of the many kinds of Christian prayer, called intercessory prayer. We have prayed for family and friends, and we have prayed for others whom we do not know. We have also prayed for huge national and international issues and the people who are caught up in these situations. Intercessory prayer, prayer where you and I intercede, is prayer where you and I step into another life and pray for God’s will to be done in their life as God’s will is always done in heaven. Jesus taught us all to pray this way when He instructed us to pray that “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” in the so-called Lord’s Prayer.
As a pastor intercessory prayer has always been one of the most important things I have ever done. This week two dear friends of mine died. I have prayed for them for years. I wept at the news of both of their deaths. Both lived with me in Nebraska when I was pastor there for seven years. I loved both of these men. Today I am praying for many people, including you. I am also praying for an end to the war in Ukraine and Israel and Gaza. I feel sick when I hear the press and military speak of “collateral damage” as a way to explain the deaths of thousands and thousands of people. When I consider war I feel that there are never any winners. We humans kill each other indiscriminately. PLEASE PRAY FOR AN END TO HATRED AND WAR. War is never the choice of God, but always a consequence of our sinful natures.
I also pray for those who do not believe in God. I know many who refuse to believe in God. I pray for people like you and me, people who believe but who sin and fall short of the glory of God.
I beg you today to include intercessory prayer in your daily prayer. pray that the Spirit of God, who IS God, will intercede and bring mercy and faith and peace into the lives of all for whom you pray. Remember, when you pray, you pray because God has drawn you, called you, to pray. We never pray by our own intuition or efforts. Jesus told us: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” John 6:44.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“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.
"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.
“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people” 1 Timothy 2:1.
“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” Ephesians 6:18.
“For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God”
Romans 8:27.
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” John 15:7.
“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” John 14:13.
“And Jesus told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” Luke 18:1.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” Matthew 5:43.
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