Class Lesson November 11, 2018

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

One evening I sensed an uncharacteristic and urgent need to pray for my oldest daughter’s safety. I prayed intently for her, and then a few minutes later, the sense of urgency relaxed.

That same evening my daughter and her date had left a wedding in Houston. While sitting at a stop sign, a crazed driver under the influence of something rammed their vehicle intentionally with his truck. As my daughter’s date got out of the car, the driver met him immediately, shouting serious threats, while my daughter called 911. Suddenly the driver cursed one last threat, got in his damaged vehicle and sped away.

My daughter’s phone recorded the time she dialed 911. It was four minutes after I suddenly and unexplainably began praying for her safety. I believe the Holy Spirit led me to pray for her.

Praying for others is not always so unnerving, but we are clearly called to do so. It’s called intercession, and every day we should cry out to God for the needs of people in our lives.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Matthew 6:11; John 17:11-16

Matt. 6:11 Give us today our daily bread. ... John 17:11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

Jesus unquestionably was an intercessor; He prayed for others. In fact, Jesus still intercedes for us. “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:25). When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He instructed us to also intercede for others. The request for daily bread is not simply for us individually. Jesus urges us to pray for the needs of others as well. “Give us today our daily bread” (emphasis added). 

The plural pronouns tell the story. Even as we pray for ourselves, we pray with equal concern for the needs of others. As we pray for the needs of others, we actually reflect the heart of God.

Jesus’ prayerful concern for others was even on display the night He was betrayed. It was the most terrible night of His life, but He had others on His mind. He prayed for us! Jesus knew the new believers would be taking risks so He prayed for their protection.

We should follow His lead and pray for the protection of others. 

• Pray for those serving in difficult places. We should pray for those on the “front lines,” taking the gospel to places it’s never been. It encourages these servants to know that, as we pray for them, they aren’t alone in the battle.                                                                                                        
• Pray for those serving when life seems easy. Thankfully, churches and believers experience times when they see the hand of God greatly at work. Lives are changed. In those times, we also pray for their protection, because it’s easy to let our guard down in those moments.                                                                                                                                                        
• Pray for family and friends. We intercede for those we know so that they do not fall prey to temptation. Pray for our friends and loved ones to stand strong no matter what. 

Jesus prayed for God’s protection in two ways: 

1. Protection from disunity. Jesus prayed for God to protect His followers “so that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:11).                                                                                                                                         
2. Protection from spiritual attack. Jesus prayed the Father would “protect them from the evil one” (v. 15).

When we pray for others, we may feel the need to pray them out of difficult situations, but Jesus prayed for their protection in the midst of those difficulties. Not only that, but He prayed His followers would experience joy in spite of difficulties.

John 17:17-19

17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

In addition to interceding for the spiritual protection of others, Jesus taught us by example to pray for their spiritual growth. With only hours to live, Jesus poured His heart out to God for the spiritual health of His followers.

How did Jesus pray for our growth? He prayed for us to “be truly sanctified.” The word sanctify comes from the root word sometimes translated holy. It refers to something set aside for a unique purpose.

We are sanctified and set apart by the truth of what Christ has done for us. And we are sanctified by what He continues to do through us as we obey His word. 

• His Word cleanses us. “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). 

• His Word grows us. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2).

• His Word equips us. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

We need to grow in Christ and so do the people we pray for. As we intercede for others,  pray that God’s Word will do its sanctifying work in their lives.

John 17:20-23

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Jesus also prayed for unity among all believers. Jesus’ prayer for unity was much more than a mere appeal for toleration or pleasantries. Jesus prayed that the fellowship believers shared with one another would be on par with the relationship shared between Christ and the Father. We need to pray this same prayer today. The church is ever in need of unity. We’re sinners saved by grace, but we can easily step back into living selfishly, without regard for the oneness Jesus called us to share.

Sadly, most believers have seen or experienced disunity in church. Disunity among believers does not only affect the church, it also impacts those on the outside looking in. Fractured relationships among Christians are a negative witness to non-Christians. Unity is tied to the mission of the church. Why should anyone want to come to the One we profess if our inability to fellowship with each other is a blatant contradiction to our message of Christ’s grace and life transformation?

A prayer for unity begins with us. Can we truly pray for others to be unified if we ourselves are out of fellowship with other believers? We should pray for reconciliation with those believers, pray for the unity of those who lead the church, and pray for oneness in families.

Jesus wants unity in His Body, the church. We will not always agree with other believers on every point, but when we pray for Christ centered unity, we begin moving toward our God-given mission: Our witness of love and unity in Christ that points those far from God to the One who makes us one.

LIVE IT OUT

We can do no greater honor for another person than to take their needs before the God of the universe. How will you intercede for others? Choose one of the following applications:

• Categorize your requests. Create a prayer list under three columns: PROTECTION, SPIRITUAL GROWTH, and UNITY. Under each column, list individuals or groups for whom you can pray.

• Ask others. Contact friends and family by phone, email, or text. Ask them how you can be praying specifically for them.

• Pray together. Meet with others in your group for a season of prayer; a time of praying for unity among believers and churches in your community.

You may or may not have sensed an urgent need to pray in the moment for someone, but we are clearly called to intercede for others on a regular basis. Every day we should pour out our hearts to God for the needs of people in our lives.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan


Teacher's Notes:

 

Video: Doctor Prayed and Patient Raised from the Dead

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Why is praying for others important?

One of the greatest things we can do for other people is pray for them. There is power in intercessory prayer - certainly was with this patient in the video. 

When we pray for others, we treat their needs as if they were our own. Praying for others is also another way we can live out the command: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” – Matthew 22:39

Last week’s lesson considered how “Give us today our daily bread” applied to praying for ourselves. This week, we look at the verse from the perspective of praying for others – intercessory prayer. The Lord’s Model Prayer has a corporate nature throughout: Our Father, our daily bread, our debts; give us, forgive us, lead us not, deliver us. The community of believers gathers around the truth that God is our Father. He is not just yours or mine. All who believe are joined with Him and in Him. He makes us one. 

One of the most common complaints heard among church members these days is,

“My needs aren’t being met.”

Some say this complaint is an indictment of the modern church, and maybe it is to a degree, but more often than not, it’s an indictment of our modern self-centered culture.

• Since when is church about meeting our needs? 
• Didn’t Jesus say He came not to be served, but to serve? 
• Didn’t He command us to deny ourselves? 

Our selfishness can be seen in our prayers too. 

There’s nothing wrong with praying for your own needs, but Scripture also commands us to pray for one another. Many times, we get so caught up in the former that we fail to do the latter. The night before He was crucified, Jesus prayed for Himself, but He also prayed for His disciples. The 17th chapter of John, contains “the Lord’s prayer” for others. The passage in Matthew 6 is often called “the Lord’s Prayer”, but that’s actually just a model prayer for us. 

I. A prayer for protection.     John 17:11-16      What is Jesus praying for?

I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

When do you feel most burdened to pray for others?

We should follow Jesus’ lead and pray for the protection of others.

• Those serving in difficult places.
• Those serving when life seems easy.
• Family and friends.

Points:

• As believers, we live under the protection of the Father, who is able to keep us from evil and the evil one.
• Those who follow Jesus will find themselves at odds with this world, but can know the fullness of joy that comes with being in right relationship with Him.
• Followers of Christ are in the world to live for Him before a world that needs to know Him.
• Christians need to pray that God will keep friends and family members from the temptations of evil and the evil one.

A prayer for protection. He prayed that the Father would “keep” the disciples. Jesus had taken care of them while He was physically with them. He had taken care of the disciples’ physical and spiritual needs. None of them was lost except Judas. From what I can tell, Judas was never a true believer (John 6:70-71). Jesus would no longer be in the world, but His disciples would. He would be crucified the next day, and then a few weeks later, He would return to His Father. Jesus is still spiritually present with us (Matthew 28:20), but He is no longer physically present. His disciples are still in the world, with all of its troubles and wickedness. We should still pray for God to protect us. From physical danger. Do we pray for Christians who are being persecuted overseas? Do we pray for our missionaries, many of whom minister in dangerous places? From spiritual danger. Do we pray God will protect His people from temptation? Do you pray for your pastor and other church leaders? [John 17:11-12] Jesus Himself provided a superb example of intercessory prayer. Just before His arrest, Jesus prayed for His present disciples and for the disciples who would come later. His example shows us how to pray for others to be protected. Very soon, Jesus would leave the disciples, and His absence would be troublesome for them. They had enjoyed His company and learned to lean on Him and draw confidence from His physical presence among them. But that kind of relationship would come to a sudden halt. He would be gone, and they would be left with the serious challenges of kingdom work yet to come. So, He asked the Father to protect them. Jesus Himself had protected them. He had watched over them and had given them what they needed so they would learn to walk with Him and follow His leadership. And none of them had been lost along the way. Judas turned out to be the exception once he set himself on his selfish path of destruction. Three years of constant contact with Jesus had not made much difference to him. He would not devote himself to Christ. His selfish behavior didn’t come as a surprise to the Lord, who had provided clear-cut snapshots of Judas’s actions. (See Ps. 41:9; Zech. 11:12-13.) [Verses 13-14] Although Jesus would be with the Father, His disciples would still be in the world. Certain of His departure, Jesus prayed for them to be filled with His joy. While He worked with them and ministered among them, His joy emanated from the awareness He would provide the gift of eternal life for everyone who gave their lives to Him. Now that He would be leaving, He prayed for them to be filled completely with the same joy. That joy would come from Him as they shared the good news of salvation through Him and helped believers grow toward maturity in Him. Although they would be serving Him in a world that hated them, His joy would sustain and strengthen them. With His joy filling them, they could press on. [Verses 15-16] Notice Jesus didn’t ask for the disciples to be removed from the world nor that they retreat from the world to avoid interacting with lost people. Because of His work in them, they would be compelled to live by a set of values that would create tension between them and the world. He interceded for them to be protected as they faced the enemy who promoted the values of the world and manipulated people everywhere to embrace them. Jesus knew the evil one would turn the world against His disciples. The enemy would also try to turn the disciples against Him and one another. That’s why Jesus prayed for their protection. Likewise, we can pray for others to be protected.

II. A prayer for sanctification.      John 17:17-19        What is Jesus praying for?

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

What does it mean to be sanctified?

Sanctification: means to be "separate" or to be "set apart." In the Bible, sanctification generally relates to a sovereign act of God whereby He "sets apart" a person, place, or thing in order that His purposes may be accomplished. In the book of Exodus, God sanctifies a place of worship. "And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory," says Exodus 29:43. Even a day can be sanctified as seen in Genesis 2:3 where the seventh day is "set apart" as a holy day of rest. "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." Similarly, when a person is sanctified, he or she is being set apart by God for a specific divine purpose. The very moment we are saved in Christ we are also immediately sanctified and begin the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. As God's children we are "set apart" from that moment to carry out His divine purposes unto eternity. Hebrews 10:14 says, "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." Are you set apart for God? It is also a growth in holiness.

How is God’s Word important in our prayers for others?

God’s Word cleanses, grows, and equips us.

Points:

• God is holy and true; therefore, His message to us is true.
• In the sphere of the truth of the gospel, we are set aside unto salvation in Jesus Christ, who Himself was set aside to death on the cross.
• Those who are saved in Christ are also set aside in Him for service. 
• As Christians, the mission and ministries in which we are engaged are to be an extension of the redemptive ministry of Jesus.
• Christians are to pray for the spiritual growth of those within their sphere of influence that they too will be faithful to the calling the Lord has placed on their lives.

A prayer for sanctification. Jesus noted that the world hated His disciples. The world hates Jesus’ disciples because it hates Jesus. Many people today seem to have the idea that everyone loved Jesus. That simply is not true (John 6:66). We should not seek trouble, but if we follow Jesus, trouble will inevitably find us. They hate us because we are not of the world. The world is still the devil’s domain (1 John 2:15-17). This does not mean we should isolate ourselves from the world, but it does mean we should be noticeably different from the world. He prayed that God would sanctify them. The word translated “sanctify” is the Greek word hagiazo. It carries the idea of setting someone or something apart for a sacred purpose. Jesus had already been set apart to make atonement for our sins. He was now setting His disciples apart to spread His message after He returned to heaven. He prayed for them to be sanctified by God’s Word. God’s Word helps us resist temptation (Psalm 119;11). It is a reliable guide (Psalm 119:105). It is an offensive spiritual weapon (Ephesians 6:17). [Verse 17] Along with interceding for the disciples’ protection, Jesus prayed for strength in their walk with God. Being sanctified implied being set apart exclusively for God’s personal service. As Jesus interceded for His disciples just before the cross, He asked the Father to set them apart to be devoted completely to Him. Devotion to Him would be necessary as they carried out His kingdom plan. Jesus’ prayer for the disciples to be set apart deserves a closer look. Notice He didn’t pray for them to be set apart with large crowds nor by power that would come through political connections. Jesus’ disciples would be successful only when they devoted themselves to the truth. They had heard Jesus declare truth’s liberating power. (See 8:32.) It would set a person free to grow spiritually, and it could always be found in God’s Word. The truth of God’s Word would provide Jesus’ disciples what they would need to grow stronger in their work. We’re wise when we pray for each other to press on toward spiritual maturity. [Verse 18] With the truth of God’s Word to feed the disciples spiritually, they would be ready to take on the ministry tasks He would send them to accomplish. The Father had sent Jesus to be the Lamb to take away the sins of the world. (See 1:29.) Jesus carried out the mission completely. In the process, He encountered people who eagerly followed Him as well as individuals who absolutely detested Him. In spite of opposition, He continued His ministry and completed His mission. After Jesus’ resurrection, He dispatched His disciples on a mission and sent them into the world too, but not to be a sacrifice for sin. He sent them to share the good news so all people everywhere could have the opportunity to give their lives to Christ. They would face the same resistance Jesus encountered. The constant struggle to be faithful to Him would find them growing weary and discouraged. If they lacked spiritual strength, they would not be able to continue their ministry and complete the work to which He had sent them. [Verse 19] Jesus returned to the priority of being sanctified. Shortly He would be set apart for His Father’s personal service by dying on the cross. That sacrifice would have an impact on His disciples. Success in the mission to which He sent them would depend on His willingness to go to Calvary. For them to have the gospel message to share, Jesus would need to lay down His life as a sacrifice for sin. Therefore, He sanctified Himself by dying on the cross. The truth about Jesus and His crucifixion needed to remain the disciples’ central focus as they carried out their mission. They had to see themselves as set completely apart to serve Him. Their complete devotion to the good news of Christ would be proven in how they consistently proclaimed it everywhere they went. It would also be exhibited in their determination to live it out in a world that would be hostile toward them. Most of all, their devotion to the truth about Christ would be declared by their willingness to die for Him.

III. A prayer for unity.      John 17:20-23            What is Jesus praying for?

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Jesus also prayed for unity among all believers. Jesus’ prayer for unity was more than an appeal for toleration. Jesus prayed that the fellowship believers shared with one another would be the same as the relationship shared between Christ and the Father. 

What are some ways our group can exercise and display unity in our church?

Points:

• Jesus intercedes before the Father on behalf of all who believe.
• Spiritual unity among believers is a testimony to the personhood, power, and mission of Jesus, who alone is able to change lives.
• As believers, we are given an opportunity to bring glory to the Father through our devotion to Jesus Christ. 
• A fractured body of believers in any setting fractures their witness of who Jesus is.
• As believers, we are to pray to be a united fellowship that points others to Christ.

A prayer for unity. Jesus prayed not only for His immediate disciples, but also for those who would believe on Him in the future. He prayed that they would be united. The disciples had their share of squabbles while Jesus was with them (Mark 10:41; Luke 22:24). Their unity would be much more fragile when Jesus was gone. Is unity possible when there so many various denominations? We can still acknowledge people as brothers and sisters in Christ, in spite of denominational differences. Unity should never be preserved at the expense of truth. Why should we pray for unity? Our unity is still very fragile. Most of our disputes in churches are not over doctrinal matters. In fact, many of the issues that divide us are quite trivial. The devil constantly tries to sow seeds of division. A united church is a powerful witness. When churches work together, people take notice. As a result, Jesus is glorified (v. 21). [Verse 20] Intercession for others includes unity through Christ. Jesus pointed to that crucial need for His disciples. He prayed for the mission on which He has sent His disciples to be characterized by unity. Jesus here interceded for believers who would come in the years, decades, and centuries to follow. He had been praying for His contemporary disciples. They would be eyewitnesses to His death and resurrection. In turn, they would be sent into the world with the message of salvation in Jesus. Jesus knew other disciples would come along and walk in their footsteps. One generation of believers after another would continue the mission. Jesus prayed for the disciples who would come later and be sent to reach their world for Him. Now it’s our turn to be the generation of disciples who give others the opportunity to place faith in Him. Knowing He prayed for us gives us assurance about His presence with us so we can be effective as we serve Him. [Verse 21] Jesus prayed for us to be bound together in unity. He didn’t pray for uniformity, in which all of us think and behave in the exact same way. Uniformity can be forced on people. In sharp contrast, unity grows only out of mutual love and devotion. Jesus underscored that His relationship with the Father provides us with the source of our unity. It serves as the glue that binds us together as spiritual siblings in Him. [Verse 22] Such a remarkable expression of the living Christ draws the attention of seekers and critics alike. It casts a light on our Savior. Our sense of community comes from Christ alone. Only He can make us one. Therefore, the glory for our unity belongs solely to Him. He has given us the opportunity to live in the light of His glory and to reflect the wonder of it in our relationships with one another. We never go wrong when we follow Jesus’ example and pray for spiritual unity with His disciples. That includes interceding for others to have a growing relationship with Christ. It also means praying for our personal growth in Christ to be expressed in our growing relationships with one another as His followers. When Christ is the center of our community, we declare a healthy testimony of our spiritual unity. [Verse 23] Jesus emphasized a distinctive feature of our unity that’s most reassuring—that we be known as people whom God loves. As He prayed for the generations of disciples to come, He asked for the light of God’s love to shine brilliantly through them. God’s love expressed in our unity sends a powerful message to our world. Connecting our unity with Him validates the reality that what we do as His disciples comes from God. It’s a persuasive testimony that the world needs to behold. Our unity gives the gospel of Christ a unique ring. The affirmation that the Father loves His Son may come as no surprise. However, Jesus’ prayer for the Father’s love to be in His disciples has a different effect on us. It humbles and honors us and prompts us to pray for unity too.

Conclusion: Many churches today are suffering from a bad case of self-centeredness.

How do we cure that problem?

We can start by praying for others. 

When you pray regularly for people, God puts a love and concern in your heart for them. You become focused on their needs rather than your own. 

Jesus interceded for His disciples, 1st century to the 21st century and beyond. His concern was for their spiritual well-being; that they would be able to face the challenges of living for Jesus in a world that despises them because it despises Him. 

He prayed:

• that they would grow in the faith and in service. 
• for believers to be faithful to the mission of sharing the gospel. 
• that they be one as He and His Father were one. 
• that they would bring glory to the Father by presenting Jesus as the Father’s manifestation of His great love.

If those things were important to Jesus, if He prayed about those things in our lives, we too need to rise up and take the mantle of interceding for one another, for fellow believers across town and around the world, for friends and family members, for fellow church members, even those whom our relationships are strained, and yes, even for ourselves.

Whose is going to be in your War Room?

Videos: War Room

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Why is praying for others important?

Praying for others—and this applies to prayer in general—is an easy thing to question. Why should we pray if God already has our best interests at heart? He is wiser than we are, by a long shot. Why does He need us to pray? Wouldn’t it be better to just trust Him to do what’s best? It’s true that God is wiser than we are (1 Corinthians 1:25) and that we should trust Him (Proverbs 3:5–6). And it’s for those very reasons that we need to pray, because praying for ourselves and praying for others is something God commands us to do. Praying for others is recommended as a source of healing (James 5:16) along with confession. James tells us that “the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” Now, does this mean that only the prayers of good people are heard? No, the word righteous in the Bible refers to those who have faith and are covered by Jesus’ righteousness (Romans 5:1; 3:21–22; 4:2–3). Jesus told us to pray in His name (John 14:13–14). If you do something “in the name of” someone else, it means you do it according to His wishes. Therefore, knowing God and understanding Him is an integral part of prayer. Now we begin to see why praying for others is important. Prayer is not about getting everything we want or keeping others safe, healthy, and problem-free at all times. Prayer is a powerful way in which we get to know our Savior, and it also brings believers together. Effective prayer for others will bring us closer to God, because effective prayer is based on a knowledge of His will (1 John 5:14). It will also bring us closer to others, as we learn more about them and focus on their needs.

For most of us, praying for others tends to run along these lines: Lord, provide my friend with a job, a car that runs, good health, and safety. If we really know someone well, we might pray for his or her marriage or other relationships. There is nothing wrong with praying for these things; in fact, the Bible encourages us to pray for everything and, doing so, quell our anxieties (Philippians 4:6). It is right to pray for health and for good things to happen (3 John 1:2).

However, most of the prayers recorded in the Bible are of another type. 

• When Jesus was praying for others, He prayed for their faith (Luke 22:32), 
• He prayed against temptation in their lives (Luke 22:40), 
• He prayed for their unity (John 17:11), and 
• He prayed for their sanctification (John 17:17). 
• Paul prayed for the salvation of the lost (Romans 10:1); he prayed that the brothers would stay on the right path (2 Corinthians 13:7); he prayed that believers would be strengthened by the Spirit, rooted and grounded in love, able to comprehend God’s love, and filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14–19). 

These are all prayers for spiritual blessings; they are all “in Jesus’ name” and according to the Father’s will—prayers that are guaranteed to find a “yes” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Praying for others is important because it fulfills a New Testament command. 

We are to pray for all people (1 Timothy 2:1). We are to pray for government leaders (1 Timothy 2:2). We are to pray for the unsaved (1 Timothy 2:3). We are to pray for fellow Christians (Ephesians 6:18). We are to pray for ministers of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19–20). We are to pray for the persecuted church (Hebrews 13:3). 

Praying for others gets our focus off of ourselves and onto the needs around us. As we “carry each other’s burdens,” we “will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Begin praying for others today and help to build up the body of Christ.