How often do you pray for other Christians? Our family prays daily for the health needs of others – our church’s prayer sheet has many requests for the ill. We pray that this person’s chemo treatment would go well, and this person’s broken hip would heal with minimal complications, and that so-and-so’s doctors would have wisdom as they operate. Christians often pray for the physical needs of other Christians.
Often, too, we ask God that He would provide financially for a family that recently had their home taken in a fire. Or, for this father who has been out of work for 6 months, and for a couple is raising support to take the Gospel to a -stan country. Christians often pray for the material needs of other Christians.
Yes, we persistently lift up the physical and material needs of others to God and ask that He would show Himself strong. But have you ever prayed for your fellow believers’ spiritual needs? We are daily engaged in warfare – not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, [and] against spiritual darkness in high places [Ephesians 6:12]. These unrelenting opponents assault us through our senses daily, and you can only win or lose the battle with them – there is no draw in the spiritual realm. The intensity of the struggle may vary but every one of God’s children has a fight to face. Do you ever pray that your fellow brothers and sisters might have the blessing of victory in their situations? that they would cling to God undeviatingly? that though they walk through the fire, it would not consume them? I cannot tell you what an encouragement it is when a friend tells me that they have been praying for my spiritual battle. Not only is it uplifting to me, but I have no doubt that God blesses them as well.
So, let us pray for each other then – even if we do not know what the struggle is, even if we do not know whether our prayers have been answered. You never know what God may do through your praying!
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