Intercessory Prayer

My husband and his four siblings have lived in the same suburb from the time all of us got married. It is just a miracle of God. My parents-in-law lived with us, and we often had family get-togethers and times of prayer. The thirteen kids of the next-gen almost grew up together! Sometime after 1987, and before 1989, we began to pray together every month as the extended family. Every month 2nd Sunday was set aside, and once in 5 months, each family had the chance to host the prayer. It is God's grace that we are continuing with our practice of meeting for a time of prayer even today. I can confidently say that it has helped our children to grow in the knowledge of God and develop the habit of praying for each other! It is not that we have not had our differences, but we have strived to stay together. Praying together is something that has kept us united over the years.

As I first thought about prayer, I thought about the obvious applications: prayers that revolve around me, my needs, my problems, my wants, my desires, and my dreams. Honestly, I do not think there is anything wrong with personal prayers. But if we stop with just that, then there lies the problem! The Bible has a lot to say about praying for others. When God appeared to Solomon for the first time and asked him what he wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom to govern God's people. Solomon's unselfish prayer pleased God so much that He not only gave Solomon what he wanted but also many more things! (2 Chronicles 1:8-12). Paul not only prayed for others but also requested others to pray for him! Jesus asked His three disciples to watch with Him in the garden of Gethsemane. When Peter was in prison the church prayed for him. James 5:16 says, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." The Bible says in Romans 8:34 that Jesus is interceding for us.

My friend, let not our prayers be focused on ourselves alone. As followers of Christ, we are called to intercede for the people around us. Let us consciously make an effort to sincerely and empathetically intercede for the people in need and the people who are hurting, for the Bible says in Job 42:10 that, "… the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends."

Categories: Weekly DevotionalsAuthor: Hephzibah StephenDate: 4th February 2020 Share: newsletterDisplay date: 5th February 2020

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