When I traveled for work, I would find a church or a prayer meeting to go to while I was away from home. It became my spiritual anchor while I was traveling. We are meant to walk with others in our faith journey. We need each other. We need to pray for each other.
Selfless prayers are the purest requests made known to God. “…pray for one another, that you may be healed…” (James 5:16).
If you only pray for yourself, then that says much about you. How off can we be that even in our prayers to God, we could be so selfish? “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” (1 Timothy 2:1 NLT).
One night in Ohio, I was praying by myself in a chapel when a dear lady I knew came in. She is a mighty prayer warrior. I always enjoyed listening to her pray there in her heavenly language before services would begin. She and I were sometimes the only ones who would come early to pray before the service.
Don’t let prayer be your last resort, but your first inclination. “You must pray at all times as the Holy Spirit leads you to pray. Pray for the things that are needed. You must watch and keep on praying. Remember to pray for all Christians” (Ephesians 6:18 NLV).
After our prayers, she asked me how I was doing. I told her that I was doing great and asked her how she was. She told me she was not doing good at all. She had lost her job a few months prior, and her severance pay was quickly running out. As hard as she tried, she was unable to find a new job. I was convicted by her honesty and how she shared with me how I could pray for her.
Sometimes God puts us in a circumstance so that we can minister to other people who are there too. “And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison… But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:23,25).
Our pride often hinders us from sharing with others where we need prayer. I then confided in her that I had recently found out my job would be ending soon. I had been looking for a job, but was not making any progress at all. I was worried about finding a new job. Our faith is tested the most where we are worried the most. I truly needed prayer from others in my struggle.
Worrying uses much energy and produces nothing. Praying uses little energy and can change the world. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
The level of our faith is revealed in the confidence we have as we pray for things. Jesus taught, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24).
Right then, one of the pastors came in and sat with us. The pastor listened to my story and then shared with me hers. She also had been out of her secular work for months. It was a hardship for her and her husband who was the lead pastor at the church. I had not known that she was going through this struggle. Now I could pray for her as well.
No matter how bad things look, don’t give up, because you have no idea what God is doing behind the scenes to help you. “And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).
The longer we pray for something, the more it reveals our faith in God. “Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2 AMP).
There we were, the three of us all in need of prayer, and we got to pray for each other there that night. We continued to pray for each other in the weeks ahead. I want you to know that all three of us were able to get a job. Our God is able to do anything, and sometimes He is only waiting that we might ask Him for it. The only way we know what to ask from God for others is if we know what they need.
God wants you to graduate to higher levels of believing. Jesus taught, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22).
We must remember that when we pray to God, there is nothing we ask for that He cannot do. Jesus prayed, “…Abba, Father, all things are possible for You…” (Mark 14:36).
When someone asks you how you are doing, be honest. We are all going through something. We all need prayer. You will be most blessed in sharing your struggles, that through your requests for prayer you would give others the boldness to share their own struggle. And in doing this, you can both pray for each other and bless each other as we are meant to do.
Blessings to you,
Paul Balius
All Scripture is quoted from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted. Please use the version you prefer to review the verses shown here. The best version is the one you read. An even better version is the one you live.