On Prayer ~ Praying for Others

Greetings Dear Reader,

When we spoke yesterday concerning supplication for others, I did not go into specifics.  Today, I will camp out on this as we seek to be better at prayer.   I would first be clear that being "better" is not the right word.  It is always the right heart.

Our prayer for others must be bathed in love, compassion, kindness, grace, and mercy.  We must even pray for our enemies without grudges or hatred.  Prayer for others, then, must begin with forgiveness and asking the Father to forgive them as well.  It is no little thing to do as Jesus did and ask that the sins of those who harm us not be laid against their account.  It cleanses our hearts so that we may pray for our enemies with the proper attitude.

When others are sick or in crisis, I often do not know what to pray for specifically.  It may be that I want their need met in the way they express it or it may be that I see something else.  When I am unsure of how to pray specifically for the person to see Christ in their need.  I ask that they see and seek him with all that they are.  I ask for relief from pain both physically and emotionally.  When I do not know the specific need, I know that the Father does.

I also pray for the family and friends surrounding the person.  I ask that they too see Jesus and follow him.  I request that they are comforted and given strength to be all they need to be for the person in distress.  I pray that everyone involved sees that the Father has all things in hand and that they are free from worry.

Not knowing what to pray can be a problem.  I was asked once to pray for someone who was facing a prison sentence because of being found guilty of murder.  I did not know if the individual was guilty or not.  I told the person who asked me that I would pray for the Father to give this person what was best for him.  I asked the Holy Spirit to intercede for me as my judgment could not be honest.  I want everyone to receive mercy but that is not always what is best.  In addition, we are granted mercy every day that we are given life, no matter our opinion of the quality of that life.

Most of my prayer for others is that they see the depth to which they are loved by the Father.  It seems foolish and empty to ask the Father to “care for others” as he already does this.  I devote my prayer time for others to ways in which they can see the love, grace, and mercy that can be theirs if they embrace it.

I think that the reason the Father wishes for us to pray for others is that it makes us more aware of their needs.  It puts us in the mindset of wanting them to be loved.  It, therefore, causes us to love them more deeply, Dear Reader.  From our enemies to our dearest loves, we cannot pray for someone to have these things without being willing to render them ourselves on their behalf.  Praying for others will make me more loving, unoffendable, and peaceful if I allow it.

Wishing you joy in the journey, 

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
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Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

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We may  not always know what to say but we can always love.