Category: The Life That Can Pray for Others

Luke 11:5-8 (NIV)
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

“ ‘I have nothing to set before him’: as this consciousness takes possession of the minister or missionary, the teacher or worker, intercession will become their only hope and refuge. I may have knowledge and truth, a loving heart, and the readiness to give myself to those under my charge; but the bread of heaven I cannot give them…when we have to say of those we love and care for, ‘I have nothing to set before them,’ we have a rich Friend in heaven, the Everlasting God and Father, who only waits to be asked…”  [Andrew Murray. The Ministry of Intercession: A Plea For More Prayer.]

Apart from Jesus, we have no “food” to offer a city, a campus, a family member, or a friend. Only God can give what people truly need.  May this truth stir us to pray for those God has placed on our hearts.

Prayer:  Lord, we confess we have nothing to offer to those who you have called us to love. You alone are the “bread of heaven” we need. We pray for your blessing, healing, and salvation for them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “I Speak Jesus” by Charity Gayle feat. Steven Musso (click here).

-AS

2 Cor. 1:20 (NIV)
20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

“In a heist movie, there’s one common goal. Everyone has a role. Everyone has a specialty. There’s the master mind, the inside man, the con artist, the hacker, the getaway driver, etc. In this verse, God makes the promises. For these promises to come to pass, it takes a ‘yes’ and an ‘amen.’ It takes Christ to make each of God’s promises a ‘yes.’ It takes our spoken prayer for God’s promises to be an ‘amen.’ There’s an amen in prayer that you and I are to pray. Our prayers for others are not to convince God of the goal. He set up the goal. We have the divine joy and privilege of participation. Our prayers matter. They play a role in seeing his promises come to pass as we pray. There are prayers that are uniquely assigned to you to pray for others. There’s a prophetic declaration that only you can proclaim.” [Adapted from P. Ed’s message.]

Prayer:  Father, many are the promises you’ve made in scripture… promises that give sight to the blind and freedom for the prisoners and the oppressed.  They are all ‘Yes’ in Christ. We pray in agreement to your promises, declaring “Amen” in Jesus’ name. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “We Need a Miracle” by Charity Gayle (click here). 

-AS

1 Cor 2:11b-12 (NIV)
11b no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

1 Cor 2:9b-10 (NIV)
what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him— 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

“Effective prayer for others is rooted in effective listening to God first.  We’re entering into a divine conversation that’s already in progress. Because of Christ, we’re not outsiders, but insiders to that conversation in the heavenly realms. The Spirit helps us get caught up on God’s ways and what God wants to do. But not only are we listening, the Spirit helps us understand ‘what God has freely given us.’ At the table of divine fellowship between God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, there are things God gives us. These are things for us to pray for others. These are things we are to believe for others. These are things we are to declare for others.” [Adapted from P. Ed’s message.]

Prayer: Father, I want to listen and learn your ways in fellowship with you. Reveal words and visions by your Spirit for those I’m called to love. Align my prayers to your thoughts, your heart, and your will for them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “Love Like Fire” by Hillsong Worship (click here).

-AS

Let us proclaim these verses out loud together:

Luke 4:18-21 (NIV)
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 

“…Jesus not only announces fulfillment of prophecy (v. 21) but defines what his messianic role is. Isaiah 61 is a servant song, and ‘anointed me’ means ‘made me the Christ or Messiah’…The age of God’s reign is here; the eschatological time when God’s promises are fulfilled and God’s purpose comes to fruition has arrived…The time of God is today, and the ministries of Jesus and of the church according to Luke-Acts demonstrate that ‘today’ continued.” [Fred B. Craddock. Luke: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.]

Today is the year of the Lord’s favor. That means healing, salvation, and transformation are possible for anyone: a city, a campus, a family member, or a friend. Who is the Holy Spirit bringing to mind for you?

Prayer:  Lord, we pray for those you’ve placed on our hearts right now. May they receive the good news and be set free. May they receive sight and freedom from oppression. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “God of Revival” by Bethel Music, Brian and Jenn Johnson (click here).

-AS

John 15:4,7 (NIV)
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

“…Prayer, like the relationship, has Christ as the primary cause. This is because it is created in and guided from the entirety of Jesus’s message—his person and work. In light of our union with Christ, ‘whatever you wish’ is not a blank-check prayer but participation in the life and mission of God.” [Edward W. Klink. John. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament.]

Verse 7 is in the context of Jesus as the vine, we are branches of this vine, and God, the Father as the Gardner. The vine has branches and produces fruit through the branches. The Gardner prunes the branches to produce more fruit. Remaining in the vine is powerful for prayer. Jesus promises that whatever they ask in prayer will be given. May we fully agree and cooperate in living this reality of who we are in Christ. May we remain in Jesus and his words remain in us today.

Prayer: Jesus, fill me with the Holy Spirit that I may remain in you. Let my prayers flow from union with you and participate in your life and mission. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “Hosanna” by Hillsong Worship (click here).

-AS