Praying For Others

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16

I love this verse. Confess your sins to each other and PRAY for one another! It is so important that we pray for one another. If we are in Him then we have the ability to see each other healed and encouraged in Jesus name. How amazing is that? 

Intercession

Have you ever heard of intercession? I love intercessory prayer. It is when you are praying continually for someone, or a situation to change and you keep pressing into God until you see results. You see intercession in the Bible quite a bit. Abraham interceded for Sodom. He pleaded with God to spare the righteous people, and if Abraham did not do that then God would have wiped out the whole city. 

Moses also interceded. When he came down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments , he saw the Israelites worshipping a false god. God was so angry that He was going to wipe out the people and start over with Moses. But Moses pleaded with God to spare them and give them another chance. How cool is that? And we see it many more times throughout the Bible. Jesus even interceded for us and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us daily. Intercession is very important. Sometimes a person may need more than your ten second prayer. “Thank You Jesus for this day and I just ask that You heal my friend. IN Jesus name, Amen”. Sometimes you need to go deeper than that.Not saying those prayers aren’t good but we need to press in. Show God you are serious, that you actually care. Get a prayer journal and write down the names of people that need prayer. Intercede on their behalf and ask for His will to be done. 

Laying On Of Hands

What does that even mean? Well, this is when you lay hands on someone as you pray. Pretty self explanatory. A lot of people are uncomfortable with this subject for some reason but it is important that we do this. It isn’t bad to do this, Jesus laid His hands on people when He healed them. Of course we need to be careful where we put our hands and be mindful of a persons boundaries. We also need to be careful with the opposite sex. Women  should pray for women and likewise with the men. And a male and female should not pray alone (Unless married of course). With these boundaries in place it you can then pray for that person. Begin with thanking God for what He’s doing and pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you and give you words. Prayer isn’t about you. But it is about seeing that person healed and having faith that God wants to heal that person as well. Don’t be discouraged if your prayers aren’t answered right away. It may take time, and it will be within His will. This is where trust comes in. Our faith isn’t in out ability to pray or the right words, but it is in the Healer Himself. Our God is almighty and powerful. The glory and power comes from Him and Him alone. 

How Do I Start? 

Start small. Start by praying at home. Have quiet time with the Lord on a daily basis. You can pray for people once a week but will that actually make God want to answer you? God is loving, but if you only talk to Him once a week or when you need something I don’t think He will really appreciate that. He is a father. Imagine you as a parent and your child only talks to you when they need something or once a week. Would you really want to give them what they want? Probably not. We need to build our relationship with Him. Have goof communication with Him and spend time in His presence. 

If you are too afraid to pray in front of others, remember that you’re not praying to people, but to Him. Then, start small. Start by praying out loud with your family. God will bless your faithfulness and you will build confidence to pray in church settings and Bible studies/ Youth Groups. Be strong and courageous! Don’t let fear hold you back. Holy Spirit will guide you. 

Written by Olivia Mancini