Apostle Joshua Selman said, “Prayer is a system established by God for fellowship, warfare, intercession, and making requests.” Prayer is powerful; we should do it daily and as often as possible. Luke 18:1 (NIV ) says, “We must always pray and not give up. Prayer is a commandment. Matthew 6 doesn’t say if we pray; it says “when we pray.” Therefore, God is expecting us to always pray.
Prayer, when paired with the Word, has power over everything. It has tremendous power to transform our lives and the lives of others in every way because of the one we pray to( God our Father, Who Art In Heaven.) We know He hears and will help us. Isaiah 59:1 reminds us, “God’s ears are not deaf that He cannot hear us, nor is His hand short that He cannot save.” That’s why we must always see prayer as something other than merely making requests for our needs.
There are different types of prayers. For instance, praying for others is called intercessory prayer. We petition God in the name of Jesus Christ on the behalf of others. Contrary to popular belief, intercessory prayer is not mandated for a particular group of Christians. As a result of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, all Christians are urged to intercede for all people.
In 1st Timothy 2:1-4, we see Paul’s exhortation, “that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men: for kings, and for all that are in authority: that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour: who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
This Bible verse shows how important it is to pray for others. It instructs us first to offer supplication prayers. A prayer of supplication is simply asking for something; next, he says prayers. Supplication and prayers go hand in hand, as prayer is communication with Abba, our Father, who is in Heaven. Intercession is making a request on someone else’s behalf. So, you see how the three words connect. We Pray to God the Father in the Name of Jesus by making requests on behalf of others.
Since we live in a world filled with troubles, heartache, pain, and sorrows, we should prioritize intercessory prayers. If there was ever a time in history when we needed to intercede for others, that time is now. Interceding for others is one way we show God’s love for all humanity. Intercession allows us to reach places we cannot physically go.
In the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we often read how Jesus would awake before dawn and go to a solitary place to pray. He understood the priority of communicating with God daily. God wants us to commune with Him daily through prayer. The Bible encourages us to pray as God takes pleasure in hearing from us (Luke 18:1). It demonstrates how much we need God as we are not independent of Him. God is our Abba: our Father, our Source, our Defender, our Present Help, and so much more! And so it is pertinent for us to come to Him often in prayer.
There are many reasons why we should pray for others, but I want us to look at four (4) things that happen when we do so.
1) It kills selfishness.
If the truth be told, the world is full of selfish, self-centered people. We often think about our needs, desires, and wants. When the cares of our lives bombard us, we spend time petitioning God for ourselves and not others. It should not be so as we are instructed in the Bible to pray for each other, especially since others are suffering and facing trials of all sorts (1st Peter 5:7-9).
Jesus Christ is our perfect example, as we see him in the New Testament as the ultimate Intercessor. In Luke 23:34, we see Jesus in the most selfless intercession of all as he petitioned God on behalf of those who crucified him. Jesus was and still is the greatest Intercessor of all time. Romans 8:34 tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, making intercessions for us Daily. We see the same selfless intercession in Acts 7:59-60 when Stephen was stoned to death; he knelt and raised his voice to heaven saying, “Father, do not hold this sin against them!” So, praying for others will help us not be selfish and self-centered. When we lose selfishness, we become better givers and show more love and compassion for others. As a beautiful byproduct, we receive strength, which empowers us to face life’s challenges with resilience and grace. Now, this leads me to the second reason of what happens when we pray for others.
2) You receive strength!
Jesus often stole away to pray, as he knew the importance of praying and could do nothing outside God’s strength. Not only do we receive strength when we pray with or for others, but we also receive joy that is unspeakable, full of glory and peace like a river that attends unto our soul. Oh, how, In these troublesome times, we need the Lord’s joy and strength. That strength, happiness, and peace we receive will help us face our challenges with patience and endurance because we aren’t focused on our problems but on the needs of others.
3) You sow seeds that will produce a harvest in due season
Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, but whatever a man sows, he will reap.”
Sowing involves more than money. We can sew our gifts, talents, and abilities. In other words, we can sew ourselves for the glory of God. The Bible says in (John 12:24) that except a seed falls into the ground and dies, it cannot bear much fruit. When you pray for others, it’s an act of selflessness, and you will reap a blessing even if you don’t reap it in your lifetime; it will fall on your children, your children’s children, or the generation that follows after you. God is faithful; he will not forget the one who continually prays for others.
Seeds of selflessness always reap great rewards. When God visited King Solomon in 1st Kings 3:5-13), He said, “Solomon, ask me for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon replied, “Give me wisdom so I may know how to lead your people.” In verse 10 of the same chapter, God said to him because you did not ask for long life or wealth for yourself key Word here(for yourself ) nor for the death of your enemies, not only will I give you wisdom, but I will give you wealth, honor and all that you never asked for. Wow, if it were you or me, we would have asked for all kinds of stuff, including wealth, without measure. But Solomon was more concerned about leading the people; he put them beyond his own needs. And look at how God rewarded him for that. He never lacked anything.
I remember when the Holy Spirit told me to call a friend and pray with her when I was through. She cried and said, “Oh boy, I needed that prayer!” The following day, I woke up only to find money that I needed to pay a bill that creditors were calling me for sitting in my bank account. When I called her, she said God had told her to send me some money. Talk about reaping what you sow. God is a promise keeper. If he says it, he will undoubtedly do it.
4) It increases your love for people
Jesus said, “Pray for your enemies and do good to those who hate you.” (Matthew 5:44).
When we pray earnestly for others, especially those who mistreat us, we find that we are more compassionate and loving towards them after a while. We won’t harbor hatred, bitterness, or malice towards them. I mean, you will dislike people’s behavior. You might even be offended by some people. Still, when you pray for those who have hurt or mistreated you, after a while, the love of God will fill your heart, and it will cause you to love them and do right by them regardless of what they have done.
We all mess up and fail God, but his unfailing love towards us has caused us to know his unconditional love. Praying for others helps us see them through the eyes of Jesus, who was moved with compassion when he saw the people going astray and needing a Saviour (Matthew 9:36-38).
What practical ways could you incorporate intercessory prayer into your daily life? First, commit to always praying for others, no matter who they are. Second, have a prayer book and write down all the people and things you want to pray about.
Are you ready to commit to praying for others? You can start today.
Say this prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, please help me stop focusing on my needs and remember to pray earnestly for others since your Word tells us that we must pray for all people. Please remove selfishness from my heart so that I may remember others in Jesus’ Name. I Pray, Amen!