Be Willing & Open To Pray For Others – And Do It Often

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘(14) This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (15) And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.’ (1 John 5:14-15)

Recently, I had to go to our local Department of Motor Vehicle office.  (It actually was part of our county’s tax collector office, which makes it somewhat of a ‘double bummer’ of a locale.)  It was a necessary but undesirable need to go there, as my driver’s license was about to expire and I had to appear in person, to get photographed and go through the eye exam to ensure I was still fit to drive.  It’s similar to going to the dentist; we never look forward to going to the dentist but our teeth need routine checkups and cleanings to keep them healthy.  (I get to go there next week for a cleaning.)

Fortunately, unlike the stereotypical DMV stories, of people waiting for hours on end, in a long queue, my local DMV was somewhat organized and when I walked in at my appointed time and signed in at the kiosk in the front of the office, I was almost immediately called to a cubicle.  The woman at the cubicle was older and I could tell she was not having the best of days.  I made some light-hearted comments and was as polite as I could be, and soon her countenance went from a sour expression to one of a realization I was not going to give her any difficulty.

I did what she asked, and she began to make joking comments back.  Everything was taken care of, and as she handed me my new license, I asked her simply, “Is there anything I can pray for you about?”  Her expression changed from one of brief respite to a sense of Joy, and she responded with her request, a need that she expressed with a little bit of surprise and a little bit of relief, but with certain Joy.

I myself am always blessed to pray for others.  It is very often the sense I get from others is that one of relief, and that sense of surprise, that someone is actually wanting to pray for them.  To me, that is a bit of indictment for us who are Believers.  Why don’t we collectively pray more for others who drop into our ‘circle’.  The women working at the DMV is someone I may not see again, as I won’t need my license renewed for another eight years.  But it cost me nothing to be willing to pray for her request, and the uplifting it brought her was a blessing that I received from the exchange.

One thing I am always open to do for others is praying for them.  Many times, thanks in part to wearing shirts that let people know that I will pray for them, and in part me asking them if they need prayer, I have had the opportunity to pray for people, sometimes in the middle of a store or a restaurant.  For some onlookers, it seems odd that people would pray in the open.  But for the person in need of prayer, it is uplifting and it is noticeable the peace and Joy that falls upon them.

There is power in praying.  There are many verses and example of Jesus and in the Epistles in the New Testament that provide the importance of prayer.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray continually; Colossians 4:2 states we should devote ourselves to prayer; according to Romans 12:22 we are to be Faithful in praying.  Jesus prayed for those who asked Him for healing, He prayed for His disciples to be blessed, and He prayed for those who crucified Him for His Father’s forgiveness to be upon them.

Jesus had confidence in His prayer, obviously as He is God Manifested, He has the power to ensure His prayers are answered accordingly.  But in 1 John 5, the Apostle John states that we should also be confident that our prayers will be answered, and as John states, according to the will of Christ.  The confidence is not in ourselves, that we prayed for the right thing, but that the confidence is in Jesus heard our prayer and will answer it in His perfect timing and fashion. 

His perfect timing and fashion may or may not be when or how we desire the prayer to be answered.  We sometimes pray to have things accomplished in a manner of our choosing and in our desires.  Fortunately for us, Jesus doesn’t always give us what we want, but instead answers as we need Him to.  Our wants, perhaps to win the Lotto for example, would cause us more harm than good, and so he provides only what we can handle or what we truly need. 

In turn, as we mature and increase in Spiritual attunement in the sanctification process, we understand and begin praying not for wants but needs.  We may not pray for a ‘Mercedes-Benz’, like Janet Joplin famously did, but instead pray for reliable transportation, or the means to get to our appointments.  That may be an older car or a pair of sneakers, but if it is what we need, Jesus will provide it.

We need to be, in our obedience to Jesus, a praying people.  To pray often, even continuous and be devoted to properly praying, earnestly in Faithfulness to Him.  Praying to Father God, Jesus, and/or the Holy Spirit is part of our communications with Him and helps in our relationship and learning of His ways.  Praying is a form of worship and shows our trust in Him, that we can petition Him anytime, anywhere, for anything.  Our growth is in prayer, as much as it is in the fellowship of other Christians and in our study of the Scriptures.