The Privileged Life: “How May I Pray for You?”

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy….” Philippians 1:3-4

Twice recently, I’ve heard the same admonition from godly people. That’s a pretty good indication that God’s Holy Spirit is speaking to me in their words.

Both of these friends said essentially the same thing…that we often say we’ll pray for other people, then we walk away from the conversation and immediately forget our promises. Sad but true.

How can you and I avoid this? How can we become more deliberate in intercessory prayer—praying for others?

Here are some thoughts, from my friends and from me:

Get over the embarrassment…and the weirdness. Learn how to pray out loud with others, for others. Practice.* Start with family members, work up to praying out loud with friends, and then boldly pray for strangers. Some people will absolutely refuse prayer, but they’re rare.
Be intentional to ask for requests. When you run into a friend, or even a stranger who appears to be sad or anxious, don’t just say, “I’ll pray for you,” or even, “Can I pray for you?” Instead, ask “How can I pray for you?” And then, “May I pray for you right now?” You’ll know how to pray specifically for the other person, and your comments will have a lasting impact.
Pray right then and there. During an encounter, if possible, pull the person aside and bow your head to pray (in a whisper, if necessary). Make it short. If the situation doesn’t permit this, immediately write yourself a note or mark it in your cellphone with an alarm. Pray as soon as you get to a place where you can address God with the other person’s concerns.
Join a prayer group. Ask a church leader if there is a prayer group that meets regularly. Or, start a group yourself, to meet in person or by Zoom. I meet with friends through Moms in Prayer, an international organization that links parents to pray for their children.
Seek divine appointments. Ask God to alert you to a need for prayer while you are out in your daily routine: on a bus, in school, at work, shopping, sports, etc. Invite Him to bring people into your presence who need uplifting.
Send emails or texts to others as God brings them to mind. These little prompts from Him should prompt us to immediately send a message asking for specific prayer requests. Start simply with, “The Lord brought you to my mind—how may I pray for you today?”
Keep all prayer requests confidential. Don’t share anything someone tells you, unless you have asked for and received permission to do so. If you’re not in a prayer group very committed to this policy, don’t send out group texts. Keep everything between you, the person, and God.
Pray in the name of Jesus Christ. There is great power in that conclusion to your prayer. Pray with the recognition that all answers are found in Him. All you can do is be faithful to call on His name.

My friends who have done these very things for me have blessed me immensely with their prayers. They inspire me to be more intentional in my prayer life. To remind myself, I keep a special list of family and friends in my Bible, praying often for them through the Scriptures. And, I have a little “salt box” made from acacia wood, given to me by my sweet friend Pam, that holds slips of paper with long-term prayers.

A fellow blogger, Kim Griffin at My Heart’s Cry (https://myheartscry.org), asks her readers to send their prayer requests to her—she and I have become “prayer swappers” through her generous invitation. Consider adding “How may I pray for you?” as part of your personal email signature.

Look for answers from God. You may not get them often, but what a joy to hear good news and thank God for His provision. Trust Him with your prayers. He finds pleasure when you come to His throne room to bring the needs of others to Him, for His glory. He is listening to you. There is no greater privilege.

And so, I invite you—“How may I pray for you?” Let me know!!

Lord God of heaven, great is Your faithfulness to me. I come before You today, to lift up the needs and joys of others, to ask for Your provision on their behalf, and to wait for the answers You give. Help me not to grow weary in this…because You do not grow weary of listening. Give me Your divine appointments to pray for others, and grant me the courage to act on them. Thank You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

*Read books by Jodie Brandt (https://jodieberndt.com) and Stormie Omartian (https://www.stormieomartian.com) for some great inspiration on how to pray through the Scriptures.

To learn more about the grace of Jesus Christ, go to this page: https://lightbournecreative.com/good-news-for-you/

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