I URGE YOU TO PRAY
Carey Madding
Today's Scripture: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” Romans 15:30, NIV
Theme: Join your neighbor’s struggle by praying to God for them.
IT’S MORE THAN JUST A START
In May of 1998, Mike and I went to Church Planter’s Bootcamp. We shared with the leadership there and our table mates the vision and dreams we had for a new church. We were asked to write down key parts of that vision, create a mission statement, and think about the organizational structure. But before we left, we were challenged to create a list of 60 people who we thought would pray for us. They told us to think of godly people who would answer a 2 a.m. call to prayer if there was an emergency. Many of those people were elderly or lived too far away to come to our physical aid in an emergency. However, we knew these were people who would stop or wake up or get on their knees and pray for us. We sent them a letter describing what God had put on our hearts to do. They wrote back or called, committing to pray with and for us. That army of prayer warriors was more than an item on our “to-do” check list. They were essential to the birth of a new church.
When you think of going on a mission trip, starting a church, or stepping out in whatever way God is leading you, the first thoughts are for finances. How will we survive if I quit my job? How will I come up with the funds for the mission trip? For us, it was, “How will we put our two teenagers through college if we leave the steady income of an established church and just trust God?” But money is never the issue. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He asks us to pray, seek His face, and if we are seeking and following in all the knowledge we have, He will provide. Prayer is more than a start; it is the key.
PRAYING FOR OTHERS
I’m sure all sixty of the people who got our letters didn’t pray for us every day. But enough of them prayed each day that we felt covered and protected by prayer. And when we sent out prayer needs over the next years (by then, we could email them!), many responded. Salaries were met, land was purchased, leaders were developed, and our needs were met. This is how God used them... and He can use you in the same way!
God’s Word tells us to pray for ALL people, including our leaders, and specifically that we might have peace and that all people might come to know Him (1 Timothy 2:1-4). The Apostle James tells us, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great pow contraction er as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV). Matthew tells us that when two or three of us gather and agree in prayer, God is in our midst and will answer our prayers (Matthew 18:19-20). God told Jeremiah to tell His exiled people in Babylon to pray for the city they now lived in and its welfare (Jeremiah 29:7). Most importantly, Jesus prayed for His disciples and all believers that were to come after (John, Chapter 17). He continues to intercede for us in the throne room of heaven.
Prayers are answered when we pray. Peace comes to the nations, healing comes to individuals, needs are met, and the lost are brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus. This is one ministry that every believer is called to participate in: pray for others!
Make It Personal: Have you ever been asked to pray for a friend or family member? Offer to do it right then with them. Remember to pray and intercede for them in your quiet time and whenever they come to mind. Keep a list. You don’t have to slavishly recite it every day but review it occasionally to remember those requests. Reach out by text or phone and ask how they are doing and let them know you are remembering and praying. Write down answers to prayer, also. If God heals or provides, give thanks. Don’t take that for granted. You, like Aaron and Hur, can hold up the arms of the weary and help them stand firm in their faith (Exodus 17:10-13).
Pray: Lord God, I come to You humbly, on behalf of my friends who are sick or in need. I bring my country and its many factions and problems to You and ask for peace and healing. Help me recall the needs which have been shared with me, so that I can stand in the gap and intercede. Help me to support those who are weary and strengthen them with my prayers. You are the only answer. You are the Great Physician and the God who provides. I love You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: Romans 15:23-33
Weekly Memory Verse: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13, ESV