How to Pray for the People You LoveSample

I don't know you, but I can guess a few things about you.

Chances are you're not famous with a massive horde of adoring fans. You're an average person living your life today. You might not think that you're the kind of person whose actions or prayers can change the world.

But I want you to know something. It doesn't take a particular person to pray for people in ways that change the world. It just takes a person who is listening to God and loving people.

That's the story of Nehemiah. He wasn't a mighty figure. He didn't wear a crown, enjoy massive wealth, or employ many servants. Nehemiah was himself a servant of the king.

Living in a foreign land and serving a pagan king, Nehemiah was responsible for ensuring the king was not poisoned. This was a massive responsibility, and he developed great trust with his king. But as conscientious as he was in his job, Nehemiah was equally compassionate in his faith.

When Nehemiah heard a report that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and his people vulnerable to attack, his heart broke, and he entered into a season of deep prayer.

The final thing I want to share with you is this - intercession emerges from a heart that has been broken before God. Nehemiah loved his people, but his heart was broken when he heard of their plight. His love and compassion for his people drove him to fasting and praying on their behalf. I love how Pete Grieg, the founder of the 24-7 prayer movement, describes this kind of prayer. "Intercession is impossible until we allow the things that break God's heart to break our hearts as well."

Nehemiah went on to risk courageously and sacrifice significantly for his people. These acts of love and service began in his brokenness before the Lord and his intercession for his people.

Put another way, intercession is a way of loving people. If going through this plan is the first time you've heard the term "intercession" or truly understood it, I want to challenge you to ask an uncomfortable question. Is it possible you've lacked intercession for someone because you lacked love for them?

Perhaps your next step at the end of this series isn't "I just need to pray more." Maybe the solution is that you need to love more. If you loved differently, could you pray differently? If you just willed yourself to pray more, that wouldn't require a change of heart.

However, if intercession is the overflow of our love for people, then maybe the solution isn't, "God, help me to pray more." The solution to praying for the people we love is "God, help me love the people in my life the way You love them." When you love people like that and realize your limits to do for them what you want, you'll pray for them in ways you haven't ever prayed.

In Ephesians 3, Paul writes that our minds cannot conceive, and our hearts cannot comprehend what God has in store for those who love Him. If God can do exceedingly and abundantly beyond what we can ask or imagine for the people He loves, then the best thing we can do for them may be to enter into God's presence, interceding on their behalf.

I'm praying for you today. May you love the people in your life like God loves them. When you realize your limits as a human who loves them, may your love for them overflow into how you pray for them.

If you enjoyed this plan and would like more practical resources to help you pray with more confidence and authenticity, click here for complimentary access to my Fresh Prayer Action Plan.