WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN I SUDDENLY THINK OF SOMEONE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not
know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes
for us with groans that words cannot express.
(Romans 8:26)

MEDITATION:
Do you have an active prayer life? Do you often pray intercessory
prayers for others? Have you ever had a time when suddenly, out
of the blue, someone comes to your mind?

It could be someone you’ve recently seen, or it could be someone
you haven’t seen for a very long time. If you are a person with an
active prayer life, then you know when a person comes to mind,
you should pray for the individual. Why? Because they may be in
a situation where they need prayer, and more than likely God has
called on us to pray for them.

But if we don’t know what is going on in their life, then how should
we pray for them? Should we pray for their health? Their safety?
Their spiritual condition? Their salvation?
Paul tells us that we should…
    “pray continually”
    (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Does that mean we should pray every minute we are awake? That’s
not a bad idea, but Paul was probably implying that we should have
a prayerful attitude. When we do, then we will automatically pray
for someone when they come to mind. Instead of planning to pray
for them later, we will pray immediately.

Paul tells us to be alert (and ready) to pray at all times.
    And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with
    all kinds of prayers and requests. With this
    in mind, be alert and always keep on praying
    for all the Lord’s people.
    (Ephesians 6:18)
That is what God’s children do for each other – we pray.

Now, back to ‘how do we pray for others’ when we are unaware
of their situation. We can pray for the Lord to be with them and
help them with whatever situation they are in.

It’s good to be specific when we pray, but this is one of those times
when we accept the fact that God knows what is going on and we
simply need to pray for them to feel His presence.

God has given the Holy Spirit to those who belong to Him. Why?
Because the Holy Spirit can provide the specific needs of the ones
we are praying for. We may be curious about why they need prayer,
but our responsibility is to pray for them and trust the Holy Spirit
to ‘fill in the blanks’ with the details.

ACTION:
Question to consider:
    “Do I actively and immediately pray for others when they come to mind?”

If your answer is, “No”, and you belong to the Lord, then start now
to pray for others immediately when they come to mind. Believers
need to have confidence that other believers will be praying for them.
We need to pray especially for those in leadership positions (pastors,
missionaries, teachers, etc.).

When others are humbly trying to actively serve the Lord, Satan
will unleash more of his attacks on them as a way of discouraging
them because they can have a positive impact on others when the
Lord is guiding them where they have been called to serve. Our
prayers can result in their encouragement to keep serving the
Lord, even though Satan is trying to disrupt them.

Satan is so clever and vicious that he can persuade brothers and
sisters in Christ to be a discouragement to those God has called
to serve. The scriptures tell us of the dangers of allowing Satan
to influence us to become a discouragement to others.
    Woe to the world because of the things that cause
    people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe
    to the person through whom they come!
    (Matthew 18:7)

    Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause
    people to stumble are bound to come, but woe
    to anyone through whom they come.
    (Luke 17:1)

How can we prevent this kind of influence from the Evil One? We
can look for ways to encourage those God has called to serve and
we can pray for them often and sincerely. Our prayer might simply
be something like this:
    “Lord, I know You have called this person to serve.
      Please guide them in their efforts and help me to
      be an encouragement to them. Remind me that
      You will speak to me through them.”

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us prayer as a venue
for communicating with You. Thank you also for providing us
with the Holy Spirit to assist us when we want to pray, but are
unsure of how to pray. Forgive me for the times You have brought
someone to my mind and I have failed to pray for them, or delayed
my prayers to a later time. Help me to change my habits and attitudes
so I will understand the importance of praying for others. I need to
consider it a privilege to pray intercessory prayers. Thank You for
hearing my heart’s cry and for the times You have answered when
I have prayed for others.”

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