“A rich, vibrant, consoling, hard-won prayer life is the one good that makes it possible to receive all other kinds of goods rightly and beneficially. [Paul] does not see prayer as merely a way to get things from God but as a way to get more of God himself.” —Timothy Keller

Prayer is powerful. How incredible it is to hear the words “I’m praying for you” by someone who is steeped in a life of prayer. Prayer is the opportunity to connect with God and to pray for someone else is connecting with God on someone else’s behalf. When we pray in service to others we are demonstrating our love to them and our faith in God.

Oftentimes we too quickly make prayer about us. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of saying to yourself “ Why should I pray if I’m only going to be disappointed if I don’t get what I want?” Setting our expectations is important here. Prayer is not about getting what we want and praying for others isn’t about solving their issues.

Praying for others is about serving someone by connecting to God on their behalf. This can take many forms. First you could pray with them in person. This experience is often powerful for everyone involved because you are connecting to God with someone else who has their own unique relationship with God. Secondly you can pray for someone on your own. This is a great way to serve others daily while also causing a benefit to yourself. Praying for others routinely changes our hearts and orients ourselves to be more others focused. Rick Warren writes that the key to Humility is “not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less”. Praying for others serves them, but also helps us develop a posture of humility by causing us to think of ourselves less.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” —Galatians 6:2

Growth Challenge - Create a Prayer List

For this practice I assume some of you have had a prayer list going for years upon years, others haven’t ever made one, and some are inbetween. Try this out at least once and use what works.

Write out these simple categories and add to them people that come to mind.
-Thanksgiving- Thanking and praising God.
-Personal godliness- Places we need to improve.
-My Family- Blood related or not whomever you consider family.
-My Leaders- Church leaders, political leaders, all of them.
-People I minister to- If you’re struggling with this pray for people to minister to.
-Friends and acquaintances- People you know well and those you don’t
-My ministry and other ministry- Where God is using you and others.
Look for opportunities to add to your list. Ask others “How can I be praying for you?”
Share your prayer needs with others. This is a crucial step- don’t skip it!