Praying for Other Believers
Being intentional about praying for fellow Christians
Our hearts are ever inclined to think of ourselves. In our sinful state, we place ourselves first, and can do that as Christians, too. Further, when we pray it’s frequently—if not only—about us. Our wants, our needs, our petitions, our issues. And, to be sure, God wants us to do that. He beckons us to come to Him with our neediness and helplessness.
But how often do we come to Him on behalf of others? How frequently do we pray for God to help another Christian? Do we pray for the suffering saint, the downcast believer, the struggling baby Christian? Have you made considerable time for the issues and concerns of the person in the pew next to you?
The Apostle Paul did. In Colossians 1:3, 9, he writes to saints at Colossae,
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints….And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
This wasn’t the first time he made it known that he was praying for other believers and churches. His epistles are saturated with that language. First, he mentions that he thanks God for those believers. Why does he do that? He tells us: because they heard of the faith of the believers there and of the their love for other saints. So not only is Paul praying for other Christians, but rejoicing in their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—as should we!
Ultimately this conversation boils down to this: Just pray for others. Care for other Christians. Be in their lives enough to know what’s going on. Be intentional about praying for other people. Perhaps that means making a prayer list of people who are on your mind. Maybe that means letting them know you prayed for them. It always brings us comfort knowing we are being prayed for—just as it should knowing that Jesus prays for us.
Don’t limit your intercessory prayers to church-wide prayer meetings, though those are important. Whenever you pray—whether you set aside time everyday, do it sporadically, or somewhere in between—ensure that another Christian’s spiritual walk is on your mind. Think about them. Pray for them. Pray for their sanctification, their fight against besetting sins, their suffering. If you know that person has a hard decision coming up, make it a priority to pray for God to give them wisdom.
Whoever it is, however you do it, just simply do it! Be intentional about praying for fellow Christians, specifically those within your local church. Don’t just say “I’ll pray for you,” but actually do it—even if you have to remind yourself later. Praying for other people will deepen your faith, too, as God designed the church to work together for each other. When we take our eyes off ourselves and focus more on others—that’s when we become more like Jesus.