“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)

I had prayed for her many months before I ever met her. Julie had seen more serious moments in her life than most of her peers in their early teens. Over the past year she had recovered from the removal of her pancreas at a major medical center for children. Her aunt had told me about the procedure and asked me to pray for her niece. Knowing at the time that this surgical procedure was uncommon, I was honored to be introduced to her when she came to my town to visit her grandparents. While she was there, I was astounded to hear her play several classical piano pieces. Now quite a number of years later, I found myself in attendance at her grandfather’s funeral. I had continued all that time to keep Julie on my prayer list, knowing that complications could have easily developed. I asked her aunt how she was doing. As it turned out Julie was well, still playing the piano, and in college. While she was unable to be present at the funeral, the aunt introduced me to her sister (Julie’s mom) reminding her that I had been “one of those who prayed us through” that touch-and-go period that now seemed like yesterday.

The act of praying for others is known as intercessory prayer. Both the Old and New Testaments contain wonderful examples. Daniel petitioned God on behalf of his people in a lengthy prayer found in the ninth chapter of the book he authored. Acknowledging their sinfulness, he stated: “We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy” (Daniel 9:18). The apostle Paul prayed for the people he served. To the church at Ephesus, he wrote that he remembers them in his prayers asking that God “may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17). In the midst of His greatest trial, Jesus prayed passionately for His disciples and for us. “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” (John 17:20-21). True intercessory prayer pursues God and results in His glorification, not our own.

One must ask the question if even those who claim to be Christians would pray more for others, what a better place this world might become.  Instead we grow to be self-absorbed in our digital communications and realize that the simple answers we may find there are not the life-affirming substance that soothes the soul.  If you have an iPhone, you have no doubt been introduced to Siri. More than a mechanical response common to some computer programs, it is derived from actual human voice recordings in many languages, both male and female.  Siri will retrieve the latest game score for you or show you the best route home. Want tomorrow’s weather forecast or curious where the market closed today, just ask Siri. A promotion of the personal assistant says, “Talk to Siri as you would to a friend.” We will soon discover that there are many times our new found friend responds with the statement, “I don’t understand what you are asking.” Our One true friend, God, always hears and understands our heart-felt petitions.

Mother Teresa once said that “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”  Just as the Holy Spirit enters our hearts and intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will, we are to intercede for one another.  Intercessory prayer reflects God’s own character of outgoing love and mercy. Praying for others helps us to think beyond ourselves and to mature in compassion. Paul exhorts us “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” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). What a wonderful privilege we have in being able to come boldly before the throne of the Almighty with our prayers and requests and be humbled when someone says that we are “one of those who prayed us through.”

REFLECTION: Can you recall a time that you prayed for someone else and your prayers made a difference in their life? Has anyone ever thanked you for prayers on their behalf? If those prayers were answered, did you consider it a privilege and remember to give the credit to God? Who needs your prayers today?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., MAY 28, 2016.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.