Praying for Others

1 Timothy 2:1

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.

Every runner has a story of the odds he or she overcame to reach the start line. Some runners faced an injury that had to heal. Others battled time management and had to balance a stressful life in order to train properly. Still other runners experienced tragic events such as the death of a loved one or a broken relationship.

Several runners who had overcome huge odds were featured on the television coverage of the White Rock Marathon recently. I listened to their stories and was inspired by them. I reflected on times when I had to overcome problems. I thought about my friends who were out on the course that day and of all the struggles they had gone through too. I thought about how many prayers had been lifted up on behalf of each other.

Throughout the Bible, God instructs us to pray for each other. He instructs us to communicate our burdens to each other and to take those burdens to Him on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ. But why does He have us do this? After all, we know He hears and answers the prayers we pray alone. Why should we ask others to pray for us?

First, when we share our problems with fellow believers, we receive their encouragement and support. God lifts us up and blesses us through them. Additionally, when problems are shared, both friends witness God’s power when He lovingly answers the prayer. God designed us to form loving relationships, to care for each other, and to share each other’s burdens.

God protects us from Satan’s schemes when we pray for each other. Satan wants to deceive us into thinking everyone else’s life is better. He wants us to feel too much pride to reach out for help. He wants us to think we are a burden to others and attempts to convince us to live in isolation and suffer in silence, to feel alone and forgotten. But when we reach out to others, his power is dispelled.

Best of all, God makes an amazing promise about our communication with other believers. He says that where two or more of His people are gathered, He is there. Because of this, we are never alone. What an amazing promise that is!

Lord God, forgive me when I begin to believe that I am the only one with problems. Help me share the problems of my life with others so that they can pray for me. Help me to seek out friends that need my help and prayers. Help all believers to trust in You to hear and answer our prayers. And thank You in advance, for we know You will graciously give us all good things. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.