PRAYING FOR OTHERS IS A BLESSING FOR CHRISTIANS AND GLORIFIES THE LORD

BIBLE PASSAGE:
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make 
you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition 
your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 
(2 Thessalonians 1:11)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever felt burdened to pray for someone 
but you weren’t sure how to pray for them?
First of all, why would you suddenly feel an urge to pray for someone?
Could it be that the Holy Spirit knows they need prayer at that moment?
Could it also mean that the Lord wants you to communicate with Him?
Maybe you have been remiss in praying as often as you should.

At any rate, in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians 
we can get some good ideas of how to pray for others.
Paul says we should pray ‘constantly’ for others.
In other words, when they have a specific need, 
we don’t just pray for them once and check it off our list.
We continue to pray for them until our prayer has been answered.

We pray that God can use them as He desires (‘worthy of His calling’).
In essence, we are praying that they will grow closer to Him 
and move further away from sin, 
so He can accomplish what He pleases through them.

We pray that their faith will be strengthened 
which causes their desire for goodness to increase.
Two forces are in competition for control of our desires 
and if one is diminished, the other is increased.

If our desire for goodness decreases, then our desire for ‘badness’ increases.
In addition, with the strengthening of their faith, 
they will feel the urge to do the things God has called them to do.

What is the result of this type of praying for others?
Paul says it is so the Lord will be glorified through them.
We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, 
and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 
(2 Thessalonians 1:12)

Honestly, can we think of any better purpose for prayer 
than glorifying the Lord through an individual 
who has an increased desire for goodness, who has their faith strengthened, 
and who wants to answer the Lord’s call for them to serve Him?   

ACTION:
When you feel an urge to pray for someone, 
don’t procrastinate but pray immediately.
We never know what they might be experiencing at that exact time.
And when you pray, remember how Paul prayed for the Thessalonians. 

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for inspiring others to pray for me 
in my time of need. Help me to realize the power of prayer and 
to pray for others whenever I have a feeling that they need prayer. 
Remind me of how to pray for them when I don’t know of their 
specific needs. Thank You for how Jesus can be glorified through 
the actions of others when we pray for them.”

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