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Prepare: ‘Lord, teach us to pray!’ (Luke 11:1).
Praying for others
How can we best pray for others? We feel we should have graduated beyond the child’s ‘God bless mummy and daddy’ but often it is hard to know what to pray.
Paul’s prayer for the members of the churches he had visited is breathtaking in its scope. It challenges us, when we pray for others, to:
_ Give thanks (v 16). God has made us to live with others and we should thank God for those whose lives are a blessing to us.
_ Pray regularly (v 16). Sometimes we are too casual or neglectful in prayer. Bringing others before God is an important part of our relationship.
_ Ask boldly (vs 17–19). We long to be closer to God – we should be asking that for those we know too.
Persevere with power
Prayer is not something to be left to the experts. Here Paul prays for the churches, but later (4:19) he asks their prayers for himself. Praying for each other is something we can all do, whatever our circumstances or position in the church.
Prayer comes out of our unity in Christ (v 23) and we pray in his name knowing that he has the power and authority to act in answer (v 22). Paul reminds us that the power which God gives is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (vs 19,20) – an amazing thought!
Prayer may not be easy but with such great resources available to us it is worth persevering.
Respond: Pray for others using verses 16–19 as a basis.
http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-03-06
Praying for others
How can we best pray for others? We feel we should have graduated beyond the child’s ‘God bless mummy and daddy’ but often it is hard to know what to pray.
Paul’s prayer for the members of the churches he had visited is breathtaking in its scope. It challenges us, when we pray for others, to:
_ Give thanks (v 16). God has made us to live with others and we should thank God for those whose lives are a blessing to us.
_ Pray regularly (v 16). Sometimes we are too casual or neglectful in prayer. Bringing others before God is an important part of our relationship.
_ Ask boldly (vs 17–19). We long to be closer to God – we should be asking that for those we know too.
Persevere with power
Prayer is not something to be left to the experts. Here Paul prays for the churches, but later (4:19) he asks their prayers for himself. Praying for each other is something we can all do, whatever our circumstances or position in the church.
Prayer comes out of our unity in Christ (v 23) and we pray in his name knowing that he has the power and authority to act in answer (v 22). Paul reminds us that the power which God gives is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (vs 19,20) – an amazing thought!
Prayer may not be easy but with such great resources available to us it is worth persevering.
Respond: Pray for others using verses 16–19 as a basis.
http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-03-06
Scripture
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WordLive provides a daily slice of Bible reading and commentary that, over four years, covers most of the Bible. The commentary encourages the reader to engage with the Bible passage in order to deepen their relationship with God, through reflection and practical application. The WordLive website offers further multimedia content and group Bible study, while registration offers a daily email, journal and bookmarking, and community tools.
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