Praying for Each Other
All around us, there are so many people and situations who we can pray with and pray for. I am so grateful to those who partnered in prayer with me and who prayed for me without me even knowing.
Often you may find that someone keeps coming to mind, when they do it may be that the Spirit is promoting you to pray for that person.
When we pray for others, we petition God on their behalf. In Christianity, we call this intercessory prayer and when we intercede for others, we pray as earnestly for them as we would pray for ourselves.
You maybe someone who prays often or praying may not come naturally to you, however we can all pray for others. whether it is with them or in your own quite time.
Read the book of Daniel as he demonstrates of intercessory prayer.
Daniel’s Prayer
1.In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom—
2. in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lordgiven to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
3. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
4. I prayed to the Lordmy God and confessed:“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
5.we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.
6.We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
7.“Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.
8. We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you.
9.The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against hi
m;
10. we have not obeyed the Lordour God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.
11.All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you.
Notice how Daniel petitions the Lord on behalf of the nation of Israel. He confesses that everyone, himself included, have sinned by disobeying the Law. He also acknowledges that God’s righteousness for judgement against them, and he begs for mercy and forgiveness.
God does listen and respond to our prayers for others, even if its not straight away.
Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.
“pray continually,”
