"In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy."
Philippians 1:4
Isn't it an encouragement when you know people are praying for you? Praying for others will do two things -- change your attitude and change them. Positive praying is much more powerful than positive thinking. People may resist our help, spurn our appeals, reject our suggestions and not listen to our suggestions, but they are powerless against our prayers.
When you say to somebody, "I'll pray for you" what do you say? What do you pray? Most of us are good at praying in a crisis but on a normal basis, what do you pray? God, bless them? That's so general. The more specific you are in prayer the more specifically you get an answer. We serve a God who hears and answers prayers. Let us carry on supporting others with our prayers, in times of crisis.
Let us also be in the habit of praying generally for others. In Philippians 1:9-11, Paul spells out exactly what he's praying for people. "And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God." (NIV)
These verses give you four things you can pray for people today -
1. "Abound in love ..." Pray that they will grow in love.
2. "Discern what is best ..." Pray that they make wise choices.
3. "Be pure and blameless ..." Pray that they will do the right thing.
4. "Filled with the fruit of righteousness ..." Pray that they will live for God's glory.
