Praying for One Another is an Act of Love
- Lori Joy
- Apr 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 5
When a friend or family member is in need of prayer we would be quick to pray for them right? Yes you would be quick to pray because you love them and care about them. But what about praying for others around us?... like those we don't know well, or the co-worker who professes to be an atheist, or a fellow student at school who is struggling, or the person who lives next door who's loud parties keep you awake at night, or the stranger in line at the grocery store who for some reason decided to share with you what a bad day they have been having? Do you act swiftly to pray for them?
The Bible does encourage us to pray for one another... it's a theme that repeats itself many times in the New Testament.
And as 1 Timothy 2:1 states (shown in the picture to the right), we should be praying, interceding, supplicating and giving thanks... not just for those closest to us, and not just for other Christians, but for All People. But why?
The reason is simple... it is one of the ways that we fulfill God's ultimate commandment... "to love one another". When we pray for others, we are showing that we care... we are showing love... we are showing others in their time of trouble that they are not alone.
What is one thing that the enemy usually tries to convince people of when they are facing problems in life?... The enemy tries to make us believe that we are all alone in our problem, that we are beyond help, and that no one else cares. But when Christians reach out to let the hurting individual know that they care and will pray for them, and with them... praying that God would intervene and make things right, bring healing, or resolve whatever the problem is... the individual who had been struggling begins to feel hope and relief that they are not alone in their struggles. It helps to strengthen their faith because you have lead by the example of your own faith to pray confidently for them and with them. And if it is an unbeliever whom you prayed for, when they see that God has answered those prayers, knowing you prayed for them... it does give them pause to think "Hey maybe God is real?" or "God really does care about me"... and can pull their heart towards a desire to know and learn more about our Lord and Saviour.
When it comes to prayers for healing, the Bible gives a bit more details on the "how to pray"... below are just a couple of examples...
James 5:15-17 (CEB) reads: "Prayer that comes from faith will heal the sick, for the Lord will restore them to health. And if they have sinned, they will be forgiven. For this reason, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve."
And one more important scripture to note concerning prayer...
Matthew 6:7, which states: “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words."
In other words, keep your prayers simple, and to the point. Avoid the long winded orations. Just be sincere in your prayers and have faith in knowing that God will answer them according to His will and in His perfect timing.
For everyone who have been praying for me and for Lori Joy Ministries... THANK YOU!
Your prayers have most certainly made a positive difference and have helped me through many challenges. I am blessed to have folks like you who care to pray for me and this ministry.
THANK YOU and GOD BLESS YOU!
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