Last year we had a huge construction project at church; and the men in charge wanted to “under promise and over deliver,” which they did. I wonder if we do the opposite when it comes to intercessory prayer? I’ve heard the phrase “I’ll be praying for you” spoken among Christians hundreds, if not thousands, of times. The phrase glides off our tongues like a knee-jerk reaction to every complaint or any kind of bad news we hear.
Do we really pray for other people as often as we promise to do so? Or do we “over promise and under deliver.” Fortunately, research shows we do pray for other people – a lot. In fact, intercession is in a virtual tie with “giving thanks” as the most common kind of prayer we pray.
Why does intercessory prayer matter? Is prayer just a spiritual placebo – a kind of psychological boost when someone says they’re praying for us? No, it’s more than that. There is real power in personal, intercessory prayer. Naturally, it is true that at times the brightest spot on our personal horizon – the only light in the darkness- is the knowledge that someone cares enough to pray. Ultimately, intercession only has meaning because prayer actually accomplishes something.
As Pete Greig wrote in God on Mute: “Jesus did not tell his disciples that if they had faith as small as a mustard seed, they would be able to shift their attitude towards the mountain. He said that the mountain itself would move.” In other words, prayer isn’t just a comforting mind trick; it’s a force that gets things done. Christians have been praying for two thousand years, and the mounting evidence of prayer’s effectiveness is one of the most confirmed aspects of the Christian life. So, when we promise “I’ll pray for you,” we may be giving the other person the most powerful reality-altering gift we have to offer.
LEARNING TO INTERCEDE
The Bible is a book of prayer flooded with examples and instructions about the importance of intercessory prayer (1 Sa. 12:23, Jm. 5:16, 1 Ti. 2:1, etc.). One of the most prolific biblical teachers on prayer was the Apostle Paul who mentions prayer about forty times. His letters include his own prayers and provide examples for us on how to pray for other believers.
As Donald Whitney said, “Anytime you want to intercede for a brother or sister in Christ, you can never go wrong praying the words the Apostle Paul was inspired to use when he prayed for other Christians.” By observing only one small section of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, for instance, we find a template for prayer that can be applied to family, friends, or any other believer. Paul said to the Colossians, “…we have not ceased to pray for you…” (Colossians 1:9).
PRAY THEY SEEK THE WILL OF GOD (1:9)
“…you may be filled with the knowledge of his will.”
The New Testament was not complete, every Christian in Colossae was a new believer, and they were already being assaulted with dangerous heresy. Paul knew they would need to know the will of God so their new faith could grow. Imagine your granddaughter enrolling in a new university hundreds of miles from home, or your wife being offered a promotion which will force your family to move to a new city, or your best friend just got saved. Wouldn’t you want all these people to seek the will of God rather than their instincts, personal agendas, popular cultural values, or anything else? You can pray that happens!
PRAY THEY WALK WITH GOD (1:10)
“…walk in a manner worthy of the Lord…”
The word “walk” in the language of the New Testament is literally “to walk around.” It doesn’t mean you’re going in circles. Instead, it describes the normal traffic patterns of your life – the path you usually take. We call it your lifestyle. We can pray that believers walk or live their lives according to God’s plans for them.
PRAY THEY SERVE GOD (1:10)
“…bearing fruit in every good work…”
“Every member a minister” is a phrase which describes a way of thinking about the calling of every believer to discover, develop, and deploy their spiritual gifts in God’s service. As believers we all have work to do, because the Christian life is a call to action. You can pray for every person you know to find ways to serve God.
PRAY THEY GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD (1:10)
“…increasing in the knowledge of God…”
My dad had a plaque on his desk that read: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” The Christian life is impossible without the knowledge of God. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God, among other things, “with all your mind.” The first thing the early church did was organize around “the apostles teaching.”
C. S. Lewis once wrote: “Unless I believe in God, I cannot believe in thought.” Paul prayed for believers to increase in their knowledge of God, and we can too.
PRAY THEY EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF GOD (1:11)
“…strengthened with all power according to his glorious might,”
Attempting to describe the power of God exhausts human vocabulary. Paul prays for our empowerment using three synonyms: strength, power, and might. He prays for us to be “strengthened with power according to his glorious might.” The first word is a verbal form of the familiar Greek word “dunamis” while the second is the noun form of the same word. Then, for the word “might” he uses a Greek word meaning manifested power. The need for believers to be filled with power is so urgent that Paul prays for it using multiple words. Every Christian you know needs power from God, so we need to passionately pray.
PRAY THEY DISCOVER THE JOY OF WAITING ON GOD (1:11)
“…for all endurance and patience with joy.”
Recently I heard someone say that patience may be a virtue but it’s no longer a reality. Two thousand years ago Paul prayed for believers to be patient – can you imagine what he would think today? Recent studies show that Americans are impatient, and we’re getting worse. But followers of Christ cannot afford to be impatient because God calls us to patient endurance. People today will need our prayers if they experience patience. Try praying these six kinds of biblical prayers for your family and friends and expect a blessing in their lives and yours.
