Ephesians 6:18-19
Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel
The Mystery of Prayer
I know it’s not normative, but I have had people sometimes call me or tell me at church that they felt the need to pray for me. That always mystifies me because I want to know why and how they knew I needed prayer and usually at the very moment I needed it. I believe that somehow the Spirit of God causes people’s names to come into their minds so that they might pray for them. Sometimes when this happens, people have emailed me or called me out of the blue to say that they were thinking of me and were praying for me; so I am convinced that God prompts people to pray for me and for others, too, just as He prompts me to pray for others. I don’t know how this works, but I know that it does. This has happened to me, too. Someone I wasn’t even thinking about comes into my mind, and my first thought is, “I hope they’re okay.” So I just pray for them. Later they tell me they were going through something difficult, but somehow they managed to make it through it. That’s when I say, “Wow, I was thinking of you for some reason. I don’t know why, but you came across my mind; and I prayed for you.”
Praying for Open Doors
On the day or days before I go out to witness to people on the street or door to door, I often request the prayers of the saints, just like the Apostle Paul asked for prayers so that the Gospel might have an open door to be preached (Colossians 4:3), and for the right words to say (Ephesians 6:19). Paul understood that prayer was always going to help him (2 Corinthians 1:11). I believe that, too. I love to have people pray for me so that the word of God will have free reign wherever it would go (2 Thessalonians 3:1). God has said in His Word that He can open doors that no one can shut and shut doors that no one can open (Revelation 3:7-8), and that is a good and godly thing to pray for.
For Whom Is God Calling You to Pray?
Maybe there is someone on your mind today. Maybe God is prompting you inwardly to pray for this person. Even if he’s not whom God wanted you to pray for, it doesn’t hurt to pray for him anyway because you might later discover that, indeed, he did need your prayers. How do you know God is calling you to pray for someone? I cannot completely answer that question. I do know that God does sometimes puts people into our minds; and when we think of them, it doesn’t hurt to pray for them. At other times we can just read the Bible to know whom to pray for: our local leaders, our church leaders, our governmental authorities, or anyone else who comes to mind (Romans 13). Don’t ever let an impulse to pray be wasted.
A Closing Prayer
I am grateful, Father, that I have access to the throne of grace through Christ. I am praying for someone who reads this today, that he might be encouraged and that this might prompt him to pray for someone who comes to his mind today. I am so grateful for all those prayer warriors out there because our lives could be so much worse without them, and I thank You for them and for Your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
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