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Who Should You Be Praying For Today?

When my seven-week-old twin boys lay in hospital with meningitis, I depended on many things.

I counted on the machines to beep rhythmically and tell me their hearts were still beating, I relied on the drips to administer the antibiotics, I trusted the doctors’ to give the best care, and I banked on a nurse to calm their fraught little bodies to sleep. Most of all, I depended on family and friends, and even strangers, to appeal to God to bring them through.

We rely on other people’s prayers.

We have a responsibility to bring other people to God in prayer. We need to make a commitment to lift them up before our Father. Just like people petitioned Jesus on behalf of the family and friends.

Which leads me to ask, who prays for you and who do you pray for, not just in a crisis but also on a regular basis?

We have a responsibility to bring other people to God in prayer. We need to make a commitment to lift them up before our Father. Just like people petitioned Jesus on behalf of the family and friends.

Prayer makes miracles happen.

Daughters were brought back to life. Friends walked again. Sicknesses disappeared. Lives were made whole.

Prayer for others makes a difference.

When my grandmother passed away, my mother and aunt went into a panic. “Whose going to pray for us now?” They asked. You see, my grandmother had prayed faithfully for her family, for friends, and for missionaries.

During my summer school vacations, I would stay with my grandparents and I noticed their prayer life. Each evening, before bed, my granddad sat in his big armchair by the fireplace. My grandma would join him, sitting on the other side. She would bring steaming cups of cocoa and two cookies each. Biscuits, we call them in England.

Then she took out her Bible and a devotional, and she would read the entry for the day. My grandfather would listen, swinging his foot and nodding his head. My mind would wander, but I would watch and learn.

Then they would pray out loud. Sometimes they would pray for me, even as I sat there. Always, they would pray for a family member. Next, they would remember those who served overseas. My grandmother would open a booklet, Echos of Service, and she would pray for a missionary, some stranger I had never heard of in a faraway land I probably would never visit.

Faithfulness in praying for others is ingrained in my mind. Faithfulness in praying for others should be well established in our lives.

So, who do you need to pray for? Make a list—one or two persons for each day of the month. Put it somewhere you won’t forget; where you will see it every day. Pray in your bathroom when you get ready in the morning, or by the kitchen sink. And pray faithfully.

Heavenly Father, I bring my family and friends before you. Just as people brought children to Jesus, I bring _____________ to you for your blessing. Just as friends and family brought those who were sick to Jesus, I bring __________________ to you for your healing. And just as people were excited about meeting Jesus and told others about him, help me to share the good news about Christ with ________________.  Amen.

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Linking up with Suzie Eller at #liveFree, Susan Mead at Dance With Jesus and Dawn Klinge at Grace and Truth.

 

  • Rachel,
    I started praying for the people whose blogs I read. I thought how powerful would it be if we all prayed for each other as we read each others blogs? How much more of an kingdom impact would take place? These are some of the things I’ve started praying over the bloggers and linkup leaders as I read:

    -Anointing for writing
    -Draw people to their site
    -Prepare the hearts of readers to receive what’s written
    -Protection of the technical issues on their site

    Praying for you today, and whenever I read your posts.
    Much love,
    ~Sherry Stahl
    xoxo

    • I love that idea, Sherry, of praying for the blogs you read. Thank you for praying for me, too. We need our blogs to be an impact for God’s Kingdom here on earth and prayer helps to usher in the Kingdom.

  • Rachel,

    This is such a necessary reminder to take everything repeatedly to our Heavenly Father, to push through in prayer and to press into grace and mercy. No matter what we are facing here, no matter what we are fearing in front of us…we have an advocate with the Father. We have a space to release our hearts and pick up His mercy. My sweet friend lost her mom this past October and that was one of her first confessions as we prayed together for her and her family, “Who will pray for me?”. We need each others prayers so much.
    Thank you for this offering of grace!
    Blessings,
    Dawn

  • This, a gentle reminder to take up the mantle of prayer, to lift up the generations that follow us.

    And yes, I do remember those English biscuits, Rachel. Fondly …

  • Love this post. I have benefited from the prayers of others. My husband and I are becoming more faithful in our prayer life. This week we are including the sanctity of life/our government in our prayers. The Colson Center has an app for 21 days of prayer for life: http://www.colsoncenter.org/21days

  • I have always prayed for people, sometimes, even forgetting my own hopes and dreams or the ones God had for me. I really had no idea the impact I was having, but spiritual attacks of the enemy makes you aware that prayer changes things and decimates him. I just remembered a lady who told me years ago that she could tell when I was praying for her. I have a friend who prays for me when I can’t sleep. And I love the story of your grandparents, it’s a beautiful memory to treasure.

  • I love this Rachel, praying for others is a common practice of mine, but it’s typically for those close to my heart or somehow alerted to me of a crisis. What a great practice to make a plan and then dutifully follow, just like your grandmother. I love a plan and will begin this one! Thanks as always for your wonderful tips!

  • With the arrival of my first grandchild, I was struck (I mean STRUCK) with the weight of that responsibility to be praying for my family — intentionally and with hands-off openness to the will of God. Thank you for your words of confirmation that give me resolve to keep up the fight in prayer.

  • Thank you for this reminder to pray for others. I’ve definitely coasted on the prayer of others multiple times in my life and need to be more intentional in returning the favor 🙂 #livefree

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