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The Gift of Prayer
John 17:20 (NLT)
I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony.
DEVOTIONAL
There’s a popular song that’s sung in many churches, “Jesus prayed for me, had me on His mind, took the time and prayed for me…” It’s true. Jesus actually prayed for us. He took time out to deliberately consider what we would need in this world and spoke to The Father on our behalf. He didn’t just pray that we’d be okay. Jesus prayed for our trials- the things that we would go through that could potentially draw us away from or to Him. He knew that we would need the assurance of His presence- that safe place where we could go to talk to Him and know that He hears and cares about us. His gift of prayer is the gift that keeps on giving.
When someone tells us that we were on their mind and they decided to pray for us, it’s a comforting feeling. In fact, there are times when we go through trials and it dawns on us that the only way we could have made it through and remained sane was because someone must have been praying for us. We need to give what we’ve received. Too often a person lets us know what’s going on with them and we say, “I’ll pray for you”. They may actually ask us to pray for them, and we say, “Okay, yes I’ll remember that in prayer”. The problem is that our intention and our follow through don’t always match. We mean well but we forget or move on. Sometimes we make the promise with no intention or desire to keep the commitment. That’s when we lose.
If 2020 has shown us nothing else, it has highlighted the life and death issues that are all around us. We need to pray and we need to see the act of prayer the way Jesus did. It’s a gift that lifts, inspires, comforts, and touches the very heart of God. To be in tune with God’s purposes we have to pray for ourselves and give the gift of prayer to others.
We Can
Stop and Pray. Sometimes an issue is so intense that the only response is to pray about it the very moment you hear about it.
Make a list. Don’t allow forgetfulness to be an excuse. Write a list of prayer requests and add people you know to the list, especially if they’ve asked you to pray or your particularly concerned about someone.
Whisper. We can whisper a prayer throughout the day when we sense that someone needs it (or just because we thought of them). That keeps us focused on what’s important even when our days get busy.
Send a message. When we’ve prayed for someone we can let them know by making a call or sending an email or text. Knowing that someone is praying for them could encourage them to remember that God sees them and hears their prayers.
Committing to pray for someone else is one of the most unselfish things we can do. We become productive Christians when we put others ahead of ourselves. When we spend time considering what other people need, we become a blessing to them and God, in turn, blesses us. In His Sovereignty, God placed the blessing in the gift.
Prayer
Lord, Thank you for the gift of prayer. Help us take it seriously and use it to stand in the gap for other people. Even when we don’t have the money to purchase physical gifts for the ones we love, we can provide the kind of giving that lasts for generations.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Live well,
Michele
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Good morning Michelle,
I truly enjoyed your devotional about prayer. There are so many things to pray for and by making a list it will help one to remember the prayer requests.
I have been praying to God to strength and spend more time improving my prayer life.
Thank you for the encouragement.
Blessings, Naomi
Naomi- We have so many good intentions, but our brains can handle just so much info! Like you, I’m trusting God to help me do more with what He’s given. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Michele,
Thank you for this compelling and convicting reminder of the importance and benefit of prayer in general, but especially praying for others. Your wise counsel today has made me thinking differently about praying for others. It has encouraged me to be more purposeful about giving the gift of prayer because it is truly the best gift we can give!
God Bless you and thanks for the encouragement!!!
Elease
Elease- You’ve definitely encouraged me. Thank you for your comments/ feedback and for sharing your experience with us.
Wow… this always hits home for me as I’m guilty of saying I’ll pray for you …which I do, but sometimes prayer is needed right away. Lord help me be obedient to the gift of prayer for your people. I’m starting a prayer journal to keep me focus. There is sooooo much to pray for. Our government, COVID-19 pandemic, lost souls, missionaries I could go on and on. Love this devotion.
That’s so awesome, Nadine!
Merry Christmas Michele!
I really like the suggestion of starting a prayer list. The Holy Spirit encouraged me to start a prayer journal, and before I knew it, I had over 700 entries reminding me to pray for family, friends, co-workers, strangers on the highway, passerbys, and just anybody within my line of sight or who I heard about or simply encountered during a day. As I checked off prayers answered, it reminded me that HE STILL hears and answers our many petitions. Thank you for another well written piece!
B.J.Travis☀️
Brenda- Isn’t is reassuring to know that He STILL hears us and will respond? Thank you so much for sharing your experience with journaling.