ARE YOU ON SOMEONE'S PRAYER TEAM?

In my previous post (May 19: ARE YOU ON SOMEONE’S TEAM) I began exploring what it means to give our support someone so they can achieve the maximum expression of God’s gifts in their life. Even though I don’t have statistical data to support my suspicion, I believe many Christians live below their potential Kingdom impact. There’s likely a variety of reasons for this, but one of the major reasons has to be they simply don’t have a “team” of people (two or three key individuals) who are encouraging them “to outbursts of love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24 NLT) They don’t have people in their life to lift them up when they are disappointed or discouraged. They don’t have people who possess spiritual wisdom and insights to help them navigate through and beyond difficulties. 

In today’s post I want to focus on the first of three ways we can provide support when we’re on someone’s team. Here we go, number one, SUPPORT THROUGH PRAYER. I know I've personally benefitted from the prayers of others. We must never underestimate the power of our prayers. While we may never know the full impact of our prayers this side of heaven, we know prayer makes a difference. I’ve had moments where I was infused with a new sense of hope, or I received an insight which brought clarity to a challenging situation, and I knew someone was praying for me. 

A very practical way to give your support through prayer is to communicate with your friend and ask them how you can pray specifically for them. You may even arrange a time where you can get together with them for the purpose of prayer. The principle of agreement, communicated in Matthew 18:19 (NIV, "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”), conveys the importance of us coming together for the causes of the kingdom of God.

Several years ago I did a major study of Paul’s prayers. It was pretty cool to see HOW he prayed. I think how we pray and what we pray says a lot about where we’re focusing our attention and affections. I find Paul’s prayer for the Christ followers in Ephesus to be very inspiring, see Ephesians 3:14-21 below. Other prayers from Paul include: Ephesians 1:15-23; Colossians 1:3-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; Philemon 1:4-7

“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for power equal to your tasks.”  *Phillip Brooks

Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV

NIV “For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”