Praying for One Another
Scripture Reading — Ephesians 6:10-20
Pray in the Spirit on all occasions. . . . With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
A great benefit of the Christian community is that believers in Christ pray for one another. Our reading today urges us to pray “on all occasions” and “for all the Lord’s people” always. This is important because amid all the activities and busyness we may face each day, we’re in a struggle against evil. The forces of evil do not want us to love one another.
Praying for others is a pattern seen throughout Scripture— from Moses’ praying that God would be merciful to his people (Deuteronomy 9:26), to various psalms of David, to Daniel’s prayer that God’s people be freed from exile (Daniel 9), to the prayers of Jesus throughout his ministry, and to the prayers of his apostles for believers everywhere. The apostle Paul, for example, begins his letter to the Philippian Christians by assuring them that he is praying for them (Philippians 1:3-6).
There are so many people and situations we can pray for. When someone comes to mind, it may be that the Spirit is nudging you to pray. Praying may come more naturally to some than to others. But all of us can pray for others. All we need is to be open to the leading of God’s Spirit.
Do you pray for others? It’s an important part of fulfilling Christ’s command to love one another each day.
Lord Jesus, you taught us by example to pray for others. Help us to take time throughout our busy, complex days to pray for one another. Empower us with your Spirit. Amen.
About the author — George Vink
Pastor George Vink has served as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church for more than 30 years in British Columbia, Montana, Michigan, and California. He and his wife, Shirley, have four married sons and nine grandchildren.
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