Pray For Others


While we can pray for ourselves, the scriptures have multiple examples of prayers made for other people; these prayers are called intercessions.  Jesus prayed for his disciples that they would be protected from the evil one. John 17:15 “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.”  You also can pray for those you know that they would be kept from the evil one.  Jesus prayed for unity and oneness of his disciples.  John 17:20-21 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;  that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”  Pray for the unity of the church.  Romans 10:1 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” You can also pray for the salvation of those who are lost.

Jesus taught us to pray for our enemies.  Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

The Apostle Paul prayed for the different churches that he knew.  He prayed for the church at Philippi (Philippians 1:9-11).  He prayed for the church at Ephesus (Ephesians 1:15-19a).  He prayed for the church in Thessalonica (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)   Look at the prayer he had for the church at Colossi:  Colossians 1:9-12 “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”  These prayers of the Apostle Paul are wonderful examples of prayers you can have for other individuals and churches.  How many churches do you know?  How many fellow Christians do you know? 

You can pray for evangelists and preachers.  Ephesians 6:19-20 “And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

You can pray for governmental authorities.  1 Timothy 2:1-2 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”

You can pray for healing and forgiveness of sins for others.  James 5:14-16 “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.  Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  1 John 5:16 “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.”

In summary, the scriptures give you commands and examples of prayer for the protection of others from the evil one, for unity of the church, for salvation of the lost, for your enemies, for churches and fellow Christians, for evangelists and preachers, for governmental authorities, and for the healing and forgiveness of your brother or sister in Christ.  I encourage you to pray for all of these.


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