Together # 57
A Together of Perseverance
A Together of Perseverance
Pray for One Another
copyright by Dick Wulf, 2018
Constantly pray for one another's needs, including perseverance and constant steadfastness in the faith.
Matt 6:9-13; John 17:1-26; 2 Cor 1:8-11;
Eph 6:18; Col 4:12; 1 Thess 1:2-3; James 5:16
Eph 6:18; Col 4:12; 1 Thess 1:2-3; James 5:16
We know we are to pray for one another, but do we talk with God on one another’s behalf for enough things?
We need one another’s prayer for more than just troublesome situations like sickness and job loss. Praying should be expanded to support our purpose as Christians to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. That covers a lot of ground, all the way from internal thoughts and feelings to spreading the gospel.
Those Christians with whom we are closest are those God wants us to minister to at a deeper level. It is for believers in our Christian Inner Circles that more specific and inclusive praying can be done. It is God’s assignment for us to pray together with and for those in our Christian friendship groups, families and marriages for deeper things. Praying for those we know better will bring to mind more specific requests of God.
For example, we can pray that everyone in our church bear with one another’s irritations and bad attitudes. But, in praying for a friend, we can pray that he or she be able to put up with a nosey mother-in-law. Certainly both of these prayers for bearing with one another are valuable, but the more specific prayer requires deeper concern and sincere love on our part, plus a lot more thought and time.
As with the Bear with One Another example above, we can pray every Together for each person in our Christian Inner Circle. Over time, if we apply each one of the 65 Togethers to prayer, we will be praying for significant growth in the spirits of all those in our Christian Inner Circles. This is deep prayer will produce believers who are more Christlike, worship God more in their lives, battle more effectively against evil and the enemy Satan, and prepare more adequately for life in heaven.
What is known as the Lord’s Prayer can also guide us when we pray for our Christian friends, family members and spouse. Found in Matthew 6, this model for prayer is completely in the plural, indicating that we are definitely to have more than ourselves in mind and pray for one another. The Lord’s Prayer can help us consider specific things for which we might want to pray for those in our Christian Inner Circles.
We need one another’s prayer for more than just troublesome situations like sickness and job loss. Praying should be expanded to support our purpose as Christians to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. That covers a lot of ground, all the way from internal thoughts and feelings to spreading the gospel.
Those Christians with whom we are closest are those God wants us to minister to at a deeper level. It is for believers in our Christian Inner Circles that more specific and inclusive praying can be done. It is God’s assignment for us to pray together with and for those in our Christian friendship groups, families and marriages for deeper things. Praying for those we know better will bring to mind more specific requests of God.
For example, we can pray that everyone in our church bear with one another’s irritations and bad attitudes. But, in praying for a friend, we can pray that he or she be able to put up with a nosey mother-in-law. Certainly both of these prayers for bearing with one another are valuable, but the more specific prayer requires deeper concern and sincere love on our part, plus a lot more thought and time.
As with the Bear with One Another example above, we can pray every Together for each person in our Christian Inner Circle. Over time, if we apply each one of the 65 Togethers to prayer, we will be praying for significant growth in the spirits of all those in our Christian Inner Circles. This is deep prayer will produce believers who are more Christlike, worship God more in their lives, battle more effectively against evil and the enemy Satan, and prepare more adequately for life in heaven.
What is known as the Lord’s Prayer can also guide us when we pray for our Christian friends, family members and spouse. Found in Matthew 6, this model for prayer is completely in the plural, indicating that we are definitely to have more than ourselves in mind and pray for one another. The Lord’s Prayer can help us consider specific things for which we might want to pray for those in our Christian Inner Circles.
So when you pray, you should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name always be kept holy
[Traditional: Hallowed be your name].
Matt 6:9 (Expanded Bible)
Our Father in heaven,
may your name always be kept holy
[Traditional: Hallowed be your name].
Matt 6:9 (Expanded Bible)
Since nothing is more important than honoring God, we need to pray for one another that our thoughts, feelings and actions are done to the glory of God. There may be those in our Christian Inner Circles who are not truly glorifying God in the way they are living. Just praying the Lord’s Prayer is not enough if we know that a friend or family member needs to change to keep God’s name holy. We need to pray more specifically in such cases.
May your kingdom come
and what you want [Your will] be done,
here on earth as it is in heaven.
Matt 6:10 (Expanded Bible)
and what you want [Your will] be done,
here on earth as it is in heaven.
Matt 6:10 (Expanded Bible)
This petition covers just about anything we think, feel and do. If we cannot imagine any thinking, feeling and actions as being acceptable in heaven where God’s kingdom is most pure, then it is something requiring prayer. Since every Together is just Scripture, sometimes re-phrased, they are all the ways of God’s kingdom . Praying that our friends and family members will live by them should be high priority.
Note that what God wants is already being done in heaven. All relationships in heaven are holy. Since the Togethers of Scripture spell out the ways of heaven (and are the best ways to live as well), we should pray for one another that we should live them.
Note that what God wants is already being done in heaven. All relationships in heaven are holy. Since the Togethers of Scripture spell out the ways of heaven (and are the best ways to live as well), we should pray for one another that we should live them.
Give us the food we need for each day
[Traditional: today our daily bread].
Matt 6:11 (Expanded Bible)
[Traditional: today our daily bread].
Matt 6:11 (Expanded Bible)
Praying for the specific needs of others is also something we want to do, being specific for those in our Christian Inner Circles because we know their situations. Such praying is usually not for food these days, but includes things like money for kids’ college education, an older car’s reliability, safety on the roads, protection from criminal acts, and extreme weather. We should get to know those who are nearest and dearest to us and find out specific needs such as who, for instance, is afraid to drive in the snow so that we can pray for his or her confidence and safety.
Forgive us for our sins [Literal: debts],
just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us
[Literal: our debtors; Comment: sin is pictured as a debt owed].
Matt 6:12 (Expanded Bible)
just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us
[Literal: our debtors; Comment: sin is pictured as a debt owed].
Matt 6:12 (Expanded Bible)
Since each of us has to ask God for our own forgiveness, we can pray that those in our Christian friendships, families and marriages have the Holy Spirit’s help to ask God for their own forgiveness. We know who has trouble accepting their own blame and can pray that they better understand that Jesus has paid the penalty so they can easily admit their own sin and ask God for forgiveness. We can pray against pride, defensiveness, and stubborn self-righteousness.
We tend to learn of hurtful relationship incidents, but we also need to know who in our Christian Inner Circles must deal with chronic dysfunctional relationships. In larger fellowships, such situations are not known. However, if one of our friends or one of our kids is being rejected and hurt, we want to pray that they would know how to deal with the hurt as well as forgive their oppressors. And, if someone is estranged from a parent or child, an important aunt or uncle, or a friend who hurt them, we need to keep their situation in mind and pray.
We tend to learn of hurtful relationship incidents, but we also need to know who in our Christian Inner Circles must deal with chronic dysfunctional relationships. In larger fellowships, such situations are not known. However, if one of our friends or one of our kids is being rejected and hurt, we want to pray that they would know how to deal with the hurt as well as forgive their oppressors. And, if someone is estranged from a parent or child, an important aunt or uncle, or a friend who hurt them, we need to keep their situation in mind and pray.
And do not cause us to be tempted
[Traditional: lead us not into temptation;
or do not put us to the test],
but save [rescue; deliver] us from the Evil One [or evil].
Matt 6:13 (Expanded Bible)
[Traditional: lead us not into temptation;
or do not put us to the test],
but save [rescue; deliver] us from the Evil One [or evil].
Matt 6:13 (Expanded Bible)
This verse will be handled later when we discuss how to defeat evil and Satan by praying for one another.
There is another aspect of praying for one another that might be better called praying “about” one another. We are to remember to affirm one another in speaking with God.
There is another aspect of praying for one another that might be better called praying “about” one another. We are to remember to affirm one another in speaking with God.
We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thess 1:2-3
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We are so used to thinking that praying is asking for things, that we don’t share our hearts with God. This aspect of praying, even though a bit different than praying for, will help us remember that we are in a personal relationship with Him, not just a customer relationship.
Let’s take note of the three things that the Apostle Paul thanked God for in the people of the Thessalonian church. Their faith resulted in good works, not just talk and adherence to doctrine. Their love and not duty empowered their service. And, they had hope in Jesus that inspired endurance in long exhausting hours of faithfulness, not just comfortable lives soaking up God’s blessings.
Do we have those in our Christian Inner Circles who go the second mile with faith, love and hope? We need to thank God for them.
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
Let’s take note of the three things that the Apostle Paul thanked God for in the people of the Thessalonian church. Their faith resulted in good works, not just talk and adherence to doctrine. Their love and not duty empowered their service. And, they had hope in Jesus that inspired endurance in long exhausting hours of faithfulness, not just comfortable lives soaking up God’s blessings.
Do we have those in our Christian Inner Circles who go the second mile with faith, love and hope? We need to thank God for them.
Opportunity to Become More and More Like Jesus Christ
After 40 years of throwing out a brief prayer some days for his wife Kaylee, Eli became convicted that his wife needed much more prayer support to persevere and advance in her faith. The problem was that he did not know how to pray for more than brief generalizations.
Eli put his head into this problem and eventually came up with a fine solution. He decided to use the Lord’s Prayer as a model for thinking of things he could pray for relating to Kaylee. Then he did the same thing with Jesus’ prayer for His disciples in John 17. Eventually, he had a stack of small cards, the backs of old business cards actually, containing 47 things to specifically pray for his wife as he drove around town in his car. It felt really good to back up his wife in this way. He was sure that was what Jesus would do. |
Jesus is praying for us right now at the right hand of the Father. The more we are concerned for one another to the extent that we pray for one another specifically, the more we become like Jesus. Of course, we cannot pray for all Christians as our Lord can, but we can for those within our Christian friendships, families, and marriages.
Surely Jesus is not looking to His left and saying to God the Father something as general as, “Father, Please take care of So-and-So.” He knows each of us too well to not bring up specific needs and concerns. And, He is most likely not going to skip bringing up our need for a job, resolve some conflict, or use our tax return wisely. Most importantly, Jesus would talk to the Father about our spiritual condition.
If we want to change ourselves into the image of Jesus, that will mean presenting to God in prayer specific needs for living as well as spiritual growth needs of those we care about. Doing this for everyone in our Christian Inner Circles will take more commitment to prayer than most of us have already made. Praying in general terms is quick but not much like Jesus.
We don’t need to pray for the many but limited number of people in our Christian Inner Circles every day. We can write the names of each of them on slips of paper and fill out specific prayer requests tailored to their specific needs. Then once a week or whenever the rotation comes to an individual we care about, the specifics we have written down will keep us from praying general prayers out of duty and usher in specific prayers out of love.
We can also learn how to pray for one another and become more like Jesus if we look at His prayer in John 17. (Many think this is what should be called the Lord’s Prayer and the one in Matthew 6 the Lord’s Model Prayer.) This prayer uttered just before His death on our behalf came straight from the heart of Jesus. Prayer in this vein for other Christians, especially those in our friendship groups, families and marriages, will change our spirits into the spirit of Jesus.
Jesus prayed that His followers would know both God the Father and Himself. He did not pray that we would know about God, but that we would know God.
Surely Jesus is not looking to His left and saying to God the Father something as general as, “Father, Please take care of So-and-So.” He knows each of us too well to not bring up specific needs and concerns. And, He is most likely not going to skip bringing up our need for a job, resolve some conflict, or use our tax return wisely. Most importantly, Jesus would talk to the Father about our spiritual condition.
If we want to change ourselves into the image of Jesus, that will mean presenting to God in prayer specific needs for living as well as spiritual growth needs of those we care about. Doing this for everyone in our Christian Inner Circles will take more commitment to prayer than most of us have already made. Praying in general terms is quick but not much like Jesus.
We don’t need to pray for the many but limited number of people in our Christian Inner Circles every day. We can write the names of each of them on slips of paper and fill out specific prayer requests tailored to their specific needs. Then once a week or whenever the rotation comes to an individual we care about, the specifics we have written down will keep us from praying general prayers out of duty and usher in specific prayers out of love.
We can also learn how to pray for one another and become more like Jesus if we look at His prayer in John 17. (Many think this is what should be called the Lord’s Prayer and the one in Matthew 6 the Lord’s Model Prayer.) This prayer uttered just before His death on our behalf came straight from the heart of Jesus. Prayer in this vein for other Christians, especially those in our friendship groups, families and marriages, will change our spirits into the spirit of Jesus.
Jesus prayed that His followers would know both God the Father and Himself. He did not pray that we would know about God, but that we would know God.
And this is eternal life,
that they know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
John 17:3
that they know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
John 17:3
We make trite our relationship with God if we consider a personal relationship with God only belief that brings salvation. But, that is the way we often use the phrase. This is horribly wrong. God saved us through Christ to have a personal relationship with Himself and the moment of our salvation is only the start. Accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior makes possible a relationship with God because it tears down the barrier to relationship with Him.
When we are hired into a new job by the Human Relations Department, a personal relationship with a boss is made possible. We would never say at the moment of being given the job that we have a personal relationship with our supervisor. The work relationship begins with having tasks assigned to do. The personal relationship begins with caring conversation.
We might easily be able to discern who in our Christian Inner Circles relates to God as a person rather than just knowing about Him. Those who only know about God rarely speak of Him as if He is a person in their lives. They speak of God in terms of what they know about Him. It is subtle, but very important that we listen closely to our friends and family who believe and then consult the Holy Spirit. If someone needs to take the next step in their relationship with God to make it more personal, we want to be praying for that as Jesus did for us.
However, none of us knows God the Father and Jesus the Son completely. Therefore, we should pray for one another that the personal relationship with God will continue to grow. Everybody needs prayer that they may get to know God more personally and share thoughts and feelings with Him, not just requests.
When we are hired into a new job by the Human Relations Department, a personal relationship with a boss is made possible. We would never say at the moment of being given the job that we have a personal relationship with our supervisor. The work relationship begins with having tasks assigned to do. The personal relationship begins with caring conversation.
We might easily be able to discern who in our Christian Inner Circles relates to God as a person rather than just knowing about Him. Those who only know about God rarely speak of Him as if He is a person in their lives. They speak of God in terms of what they know about Him. It is subtle, but very important that we listen closely to our friends and family who believe and then consult the Holy Spirit. If someone needs to take the next step in their relationship with God to make it more personal, we want to be praying for that as Jesus did for us.
However, none of us knows God the Father and Jesus the Son completely. Therefore, we should pray for one another that the personal relationship with God will continue to grow. Everybody needs prayer that they may get to know God more personally and share thoughts and feelings with Him, not just requests.
I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.
John 17:9-10
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Jesus also prayed to the Father for those who believe. In this case, Jesus was not praying for people in general but only for those God the Father had given Him through belief. When we want to develop our spirits to be like that of Jesus, we will remember that those we pray for, especially those in our Christian Inner Circles, belong to the Father Who has given them to Jesus, our Lord. We need to handle them with care when we pray for them. They belong to God.
Jesus also proclaimed in His prayer that He is glorified in His followers. In praying for those in our Christian Inner Circles, it is vital that we ask God to help them glorify Jesus in their lives.
Jesus also proclaimed in His prayer that He is glorified in His followers. In praying for those in our Christian Inner Circles, it is vital that we ask God to help them glorify Jesus in their lives.
But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
John 17:13
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Jesus prayed that we would be full of joy. To be like Him, we must pray for one another’s joy. It is important that we pray that those Christians we are close to will find joy in the difficult things they face. That is hard, so we need to pray in advance for them to experience joy in the midst of all they face in life. We need to remember that with God all things are possible.
I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
John 17:14-16
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Jesus then asked for His followers’ safety, just as He did in His model prayer called the Lord’s Prayer. However, here Jesus adds that the Father not take them out of the world, even knowing full well that His disciples will face horrible persecution. This takes real change in our spirits to be like the spirit of Jesus in this respect. Although very difficult, we need not to always pray that our Christian friends and family members escape facing evil or experiencing suffering. But, we do pray for their deliverance.
We also need to pray that those in our Christian Inner Circles not become worldly. If we and they are not of this world, then we must pray that we and they not try to be like the world. If we have some in our Circles who are in positions of power, for example, we need to pray that they will not rule as does the world, but instead through serving those over whom they have authority.
We also need to pray that those in our Christian Inner Circles not become worldly. If we and they are not of this world, then we must pray that we and they not try to be like the world. If we have some in our Circles who are in positions of power, for example, we need to pray that they will not rule as does the world, but instead through serving those over whom they have authority.
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
John 17:17
John 17:17
Jesus prayed for the sanctification of His followers. Likewise, we need to pray for the growth in their spirits of those in our Christian Inner Circles. We need to pray for growth in their heads, but also deep within them. It is this depth of spirit that will bring forth the love of God in action as well as words.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Phil 1:9-11
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If being changed into the image of Jesus is what the Christian life is all about, according to Romans 8:29, then we should be praying for such change in each person in our Christian friendships, families, and marriages. Again, the Togethers can be a guide to all the things we can pray for regarding sanctification in our brothers and sisters of the faith. Jesus did each of the Togethers. His spirit could not help but do them. Until each of us can’t help but do them, we have a ways to go and things for which others can pray.
I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.
John 17:26
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Last, Jesus prayed that His disciples would have God’s love in them. There are some ways all of us struggle to love in more than merely intellectual consent. We need to pray for one another, because impersonal concern falls far short of God’s love. We can pray that those in our Christian Inner Circles will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to go beyond intellectual love to sincere emotional love.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
1 Peter 1:22 (NIV)
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In our Christian friendships we can spot deficiencies in love toward others and pray that those with such shortcomings are helped by the Holy Spirit. If at a restaurant one of us is rude or unforgiving of a server’s help, we know who to pray for and for what to pray. If we work with another Christian in our Inner Circle and we see complaining and uncharitable thought or behavior, we know who to pray for and for what to pray. If we see harsh judgments of friends, children, relatives or spouse, we know who to pray for and for what to pray.
In our Christian families we can spot deficiencies in love toward others and pray that those with such shortcomings are helped by the Holy Spirit. When our children act selfishly toward their siblings, we know who to pray for and for what to pray. When someone is irritable and speaks unkindly, we help and then pray for the insensitive one. We pray that our kids will remember their mother on Mother’s Day and treat her special. We pray that God’s love will be in our children in a like way for their dad on Father’s Day.
In our Christian marriages spouses can spot deficiencies in love toward others and pray that those with such shortcomings are helped by the Holy Spirit. If the spouse gets irritable when things are not done just the right way, the other can pray that the spouse learn a loving way to deal with frustration. If one or both spouses make requests impolitely, or even impersonally, prayer can be made that God’s kind, thoughtful, and gentle love might take hold. If one spouse seems to insist upon his or her way most to the time, the other spouse knows for what to pray.
Let’s learn to pray like Jesus prayed. What a privilege to do so.
Opportunity to Worship God
In our Christian families we can spot deficiencies in love toward others and pray that those with such shortcomings are helped by the Holy Spirit. When our children act selfishly toward their siblings, we know who to pray for and for what to pray. When someone is irritable and speaks unkindly, we help and then pray for the insensitive one. We pray that our kids will remember their mother on Mother’s Day and treat her special. We pray that God’s love will be in our children in a like way for their dad on Father’s Day.
In our Christian marriages spouses can spot deficiencies in love toward others and pray that those with such shortcomings are helped by the Holy Spirit. If the spouse gets irritable when things are not done just the right way, the other can pray that the spouse learn a loving way to deal with frustration. If one or both spouses make requests impolitely, or even impersonally, prayer can be made that God’s kind, thoughtful, and gentle love might take hold. If one spouse seems to insist upon his or her way most to the time, the other spouse knows for what to pray.
Let’s learn to pray like Jesus prayed. What a privilege to do so.
Opportunity to Worship God
Isabella watched Sophia carefully because she did not think Sophia liked her very much. Her behavior toward Sophia was always accompanied by a bit of fear that Sophia would hurt her in some way. Sophia talked about this problem with Isabella and assured her that she was liked, but it produced no results. She prayed for Isabella, but the problem persisted because it was rooted in Isabella’s mother’s criticism of her when a child.
Both women had a common friend named Annabelle, so Sophia talked the problem of Isabella’s poor sense of worth with Annabelle. They joined in prayer together for Isabella, relying on Jesus being with them as He promises all groups of two or three Christians. They prayed that Isabella would feel their love and acceptance and stop making false assumptions. They also agreed that in addition to prayer, they would continue to encourage Isabella to move away from her mother’s perception of her, which was dead wrong. |
Do the three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, of our one God talk things over about each of us? It would definitely seem so. They would do so to determine how to love us toward relationship with Them and with one another. When we talk over with one another how to pray for one another, we are reflecting the nature of our triune God. When we actually pray for one another, we reflect back to God that character of His to work Together in the Godhead for our good.
Groups of friends can get together and make detailed lists of what to pray for each other. Those lists should go beyond worldly needs into spiritual needs. Each friend can pick out five important Togethers in which he or she needs to grow more natural and spontaneous in his or her spirit. Spouses in a Christian marriage should do likewise. Parents need to make similar lists for each of their kids at least every three months because their children are growing and their lives change directions constantly.
One reason to include others in deciding what to pray for when going to the Lord on behalf of Christian friends and family members is that assumptions can be dangerous. Assumptions are incorrect quite frequently, yet they can easily be validated or negated with a little communication. People should be asked if assumptions are correct, as in asking, “Am I correct in thinking that you do not like your job?” Sometimes the assumption will be dead wrong, but more often it will be just a little off the mark and clarification can help the accuracy of prayer.
When a friend, family member or spouse seems to be struggling with something big but does not want to talk about it, it is not gossip if a couple of Christians discuss their views about what it going on for the purpose of prayer. The first perceptions will likely be assumptions. When those assumptions are not the same, all or one of the concerned believers would be praying incorrectly. The Lord’s promise about answering prayer when there is agreement would be in jeopardy. Checking out assumptions in this way will definitely help when the person of concern is tight-lipped or defensive.
If God wants to conform us to the image of Jesus, then praying for that to happen is a significant way to honor God. We have probably not been in the habit of praying for specific change in another’s spirit unless it comes to mind because of some problem. However, there are so many ways in which we are not yet like Christ that do not become noticeable. Again it must be said that all 65 Togethers can identify things to pray for one another. Whatever Together comes to mind can get us thinking outside of the generalizations about prayer than we have read or listened to in sermons and on to specifics.
The point of all of this is that prayer takes work. Also, it takes time. Most of all, it takes love. Only love will make time for the laborious thinking that is required to pray for one another with any depth.
The Apostle Paul’s friend Epaphras, struggled in prayer for those in the church at Colossae. The value of this ministry of prayer for others has been memorialized for over 2,000 years in the Bible.
Groups of friends can get together and make detailed lists of what to pray for each other. Those lists should go beyond worldly needs into spiritual needs. Each friend can pick out five important Togethers in which he or she needs to grow more natural and spontaneous in his or her spirit. Spouses in a Christian marriage should do likewise. Parents need to make similar lists for each of their kids at least every three months because their children are growing and their lives change directions constantly.
One reason to include others in deciding what to pray for when going to the Lord on behalf of Christian friends and family members is that assumptions can be dangerous. Assumptions are incorrect quite frequently, yet they can easily be validated or negated with a little communication. People should be asked if assumptions are correct, as in asking, “Am I correct in thinking that you do not like your job?” Sometimes the assumption will be dead wrong, but more often it will be just a little off the mark and clarification can help the accuracy of prayer.
When a friend, family member or spouse seems to be struggling with something big but does not want to talk about it, it is not gossip if a couple of Christians discuss their views about what it going on for the purpose of prayer. The first perceptions will likely be assumptions. When those assumptions are not the same, all or one of the concerned believers would be praying incorrectly. The Lord’s promise about answering prayer when there is agreement would be in jeopardy. Checking out assumptions in this way will definitely help when the person of concern is tight-lipped or defensive.
If God wants to conform us to the image of Jesus, then praying for that to happen is a significant way to honor God. We have probably not been in the habit of praying for specific change in another’s spirit unless it comes to mind because of some problem. However, there are so many ways in which we are not yet like Christ that do not become noticeable. Again it must be said that all 65 Togethers can identify things to pray for one another. Whatever Together comes to mind can get us thinking outside of the generalizations about prayer than we have read or listened to in sermons and on to specifics.
The point of all of this is that prayer takes work. Also, it takes time. Most of all, it takes love. Only love will make time for the laborious thinking that is required to pray for one another with any depth.
The Apostle Paul’s friend Epaphras, struggled in prayer for those in the church at Colossae. The value of this ministry of prayer for others has been memorialized for over 2,000 years in the Bible.
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
Col 4:12
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To worship God by praying for one another, we must move away from simple and easy praying. God does not consider us with such carelessness. Let’s put our hearts into praying, doing it out of the love of God that inhabits us.
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
How Used in Battle to Defeat Evil and Satan
Once every three months the Brown Family goes out to eat at a restaurant everyone really likes and have what could be called a Battle Plan Meeting. While they are enjoying a special meal they discuss what is going on in each life of the five family members. They do not rush the analysis because they go when Joe’s Hamburger Shack is not very busy. And they tip the server triple for tying up the booth so long.
They begin with the parents so they can model openness about their struggles and joyful willingness to be supported in prayer. Discussion first centers around all the challenges and opportunities for the family member. Then family members brainstorm what the devil might do to create problems. Then they decide what specifically they will ask God in prayer for protection from evil. Each person writes these things down to use in prayer over the next weeks and months. Between the meetings at the restaurant, anyone can call a special meeting if something important comes up. They do not wait until Satan attacks. By thinking beforehand, they solicit God’s help to keep evil from happening. Only sometimes does God seem to want them to face evil; usually He keeps them from it. |
Because the devil understands the power of prayer he does all he can to keep us from prayer. Satan has ways to do this of which we are hardly aware. This writer is as derelict as any in this regard. Opening myself to writing about this Together to pray for one another is forcing awareness from the Holy Spirit that brings repentant tears and humbling shame. Thankfully, Jesus has paid the penalty for sin and shame drifts away, but the Holy Spirit convicts that it is never too late to expand prayer. Perhaps that is what Christians in old age can finally do since they can do so few physical things. Certainly, these home-bound and bed-ridden believers can be the most powerful forces in our churches and in the whole world.
Prayer is battle. In praying to God for one another, we are calling up the All-Powerful and Majestic Supreme God. We are asking God to come and wield his power in some way. We should also be seeking His power to be in us, His servant soldiers.
If we pray for a friend who needs to understand God’s sovereignty and accept the situation he or she is in, we are asking the Holy Spirit to do “surgery” on that person’s spirit. We should be ready for our part in the fight with the devil who wants our friend to think something is going wrong and that God is not love or that she or he is not lovable. To ask God to do all the work might sound super-faithful when often it will be super-lazy. God likes to work through His people, and we should like Him to do so.
And, so, after praying for God’s power to help our friend trust God’s sovereignty, we need to display our own certainty that God is sovereign. This is covered by the Together to disciple one another. Prayer must be seen as wielding a weapon against the devil within the rule of God, letting His sovereignty, or Kingship, empower us to defeat Satan. The whole instruction on spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 ends with the weapon of prayer.
Prayer is battle. In praying to God for one another, we are calling up the All-Powerful and Majestic Supreme God. We are asking God to come and wield his power in some way. We should also be seeking His power to be in us, His servant soldiers.
If we pray for a friend who needs to understand God’s sovereignty and accept the situation he or she is in, we are asking the Holy Spirit to do “surgery” on that person’s spirit. We should be ready for our part in the fight with the devil who wants our friend to think something is going wrong and that God is not love or that she or he is not lovable. To ask God to do all the work might sound super-faithful when often it will be super-lazy. God likes to work through His people, and we should like Him to do so.
And, so, after praying for God’s power to help our friend trust God’s sovereignty, we need to display our own certainty that God is sovereign. This is covered by the Together to disciple one another. Prayer must be seen as wielding a weapon against the devil within the rule of God, letting His sovereignty, or Kingship, empower us to defeat Satan. The whole instruction on spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 ends with the weapon of prayer.
. . . praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, . . .
Eph 6:18
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So it is no wonder that Satan does not want us seeking God’s intervention in whatever situation we face, especially not together. In light of Jesus’ promise to be present in some mysterious special way when two or three are together in His name, we need to understand the difference between praying individually for another and praying for that individual with one or two other Christians. In the first case, there is one person facing Satan with Jesus inside of her or him. On the other side, there are two or three confronting the devil with Jesus inside – plus Jesus present in some additional way as fully Himself, undiluted by the sin that still inhabits us.
Often we have the opportunity to pray the Lord’s Prayer with other Christians. That is fitting since the whole prayer is in the plural. We discussed this previously, but left one part of this prayer for this section on battle.
Often we have the opportunity to pray the Lord’s Prayer with other Christians. That is fitting since the whole prayer is in the plural. We discussed this previously, but left one part of this prayer for this section on battle.
And do not cause us to be tempted
[Traditional: lead us not into temptation;
or do not put us to the test],but save [rescue; deliver] us from the Evil One [or evil].
Matt 6:13 (Expanded Bible)
[Traditional: lead us not into temptation;
or do not put us to the test],but save [rescue; deliver] us from the Evil One [or evil].
Matt 6:13 (Expanded Bible)
If we had a friend who milked rattlesnakes for their venom to make extra money, we would remember to pray for him or her. If we had a loved one involved in a war, we would remember to pray for safety. Here in the model prayer given us by the Lord we are told to pray against exposure to evil because we actually are in a war, God’s war with all evil, particularly Satan.
Therefore, it should be obvious to pray for one another that we might not be tempted, that we would be protected by God, and that we resist and defeat evil. Surrounded by evil and customs that are contrary to God’s will as well as having a remnant of our old sinful self inside of us, we can try to imagine how the devil would attack all those in our Christian Inner Circles.
If there is one good thing about our old sinful natures in light of the condition of humanity, it is that the enemy has been in our home and we are capable, like it or not, to understand how Satan thinks. We can imagine how the devil will tempt us. We have done evil thinking or we know of people who have. The advantage of this is that we can pray against very specific sinful temptations from which those in our Christian Inner Circles need to be protected.
This freedom from our old self’s bondage to sin and our new self’s freedom from sin is that we can have two opposing types of empathy for our Christian friends, family members and spouses. We can have an “educated guess” as to how strong they are in their new life in Jesus as well as how weak they might be in light of their past.
Imagine a friend has just inherited $250,000 from his parents’ estate. Knowing that friend fairly well, unlike knowing someone superficially from a church program, we can probably think of ways that the devil would want him or her to use that new-found wealth. And, we could estimate how strong that friend would be at resisting spending the money in ways God does not want. Perhaps we know our friend to always be gawking at expensive cars, even though his car is new and reliable. We would also know that this friend and his or her spouse struggle each month to make ends meet. In praying to the Lord to not lead this friend into temptation, we can go one better than that general request. We can ask the Lord to help our friend see that paying off the house mortgage and passing up buying a fancy car would be far better for the family’s financial stability.
This is getting down in the trenches of life with those in our Christian Inner Circles. And, we need to remember that a quick prayer might be a nice thought but too weak in battle with evil.
And, when our close Christian friends and family members have to face people who watch out for themselves in evil ways, we need to be in prayer for them until they do not have to deal with them anymore. Again, a quick and slick prayer is good, but probably not enough for the long haul of our friend’s struggle.
Therefore, it should be obvious to pray for one another that we might not be tempted, that we would be protected by God, and that we resist and defeat evil. Surrounded by evil and customs that are contrary to God’s will as well as having a remnant of our old sinful self inside of us, we can try to imagine how the devil would attack all those in our Christian Inner Circles.
If there is one good thing about our old sinful natures in light of the condition of humanity, it is that the enemy has been in our home and we are capable, like it or not, to understand how Satan thinks. We can imagine how the devil will tempt us. We have done evil thinking or we know of people who have. The advantage of this is that we can pray against very specific sinful temptations from which those in our Christian Inner Circles need to be protected.
This freedom from our old self’s bondage to sin and our new self’s freedom from sin is that we can have two opposing types of empathy for our Christian friends, family members and spouses. We can have an “educated guess” as to how strong they are in their new life in Jesus as well as how weak they might be in light of their past.
Imagine a friend has just inherited $250,000 from his parents’ estate. Knowing that friend fairly well, unlike knowing someone superficially from a church program, we can probably think of ways that the devil would want him or her to use that new-found wealth. And, we could estimate how strong that friend would be at resisting spending the money in ways God does not want. Perhaps we know our friend to always be gawking at expensive cars, even though his car is new and reliable. We would also know that this friend and his or her spouse struggle each month to make ends meet. In praying to the Lord to not lead this friend into temptation, we can go one better than that general request. We can ask the Lord to help our friend see that paying off the house mortgage and passing up buying a fancy car would be far better for the family’s financial stability.
This is getting down in the trenches of life with those in our Christian Inner Circles. And, we need to remember that a quick prayer might be a nice thought but too weak in battle with evil.
And, when our close Christian friends and family members have to face people who watch out for themselves in evil ways, we need to be in prayer for them until they do not have to deal with them anymore. Again, a quick and slick prayer is good, but probably not enough for the long haul of our friend’s struggle.
Pray also that we would all be rescued from the snares of harmful, wicked people—after all, not all people are believing.
2 Thess 3:2
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Note how urgent was the Apostle Paul’s instruction to the Corinthian church to pray. This was no “if you can find the time to send up a prayer on our behalf” request.
For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
2 Cor 1:8-11
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Let’s identify those things Satan uses to keep us from praying. Let’s not let him get away with it.
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Tim 6:12 (NIV)
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We must remember that praying with and for one another is fighting the good fight of the faith.
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
How in the Sinful Environment this Together Prepares Us for Heaven
The small group that meets in the home of Cindy and Buster pray for one another that each one of them will be ambassadors for God and proclaim the gospel. Although they pray this in a general way, they also ask one another who it is that God has had cross their paths that He might want them to speak up about salvation through Jesus Christ. Then they pray often like this, “Lord, help Taylor be able to tell Connor, the guy who works down the hall from him at Weber and Blunt Investment Advisors, about Jesus.”
It is very possible that when these group members get to heaven they will be in the “great cloud of witnesses” spoken of in Hebrews 12:1 and be praying in just the same way for someone still living on earth. They will also have developed their spirits to be more ready to help others speak up about God in heaven, although it will not be the offer of salvation there. |
We know that to pray continually is something we will do in heaven without hindrance. Hooray for unobstructed connection with God!
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thess 5:16-18
pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thess 5:16-18
Almost all of the things we pray for naturally will not need prayer because there are no sinful problems in heaven. It seems we won’t need to pray for one another’s safety or temper, for example. So the question arises how and for what does praying for one another now prepare our spirits for heaven?
Praying that the other believers in our Christian Inner Circles will do the Togethers more and more will develop our spirits because to pray this way pushes us to care about 65 different things that glorify God. Therefore, we should now be praying for one another about all of them. Focusing on each one of the Togethers will alter our spirits in various ways for heaven.
Some of the Togethers will still be done in heaven. For example, Worship God Together is one of the Togethers we will definitely do in heaven. Praying now that others will worship God with other Christians in spirit and in truth will require us to really care that God is worshiped by His people. In heaven we will fervently pray that all of the citizens of heaven worship. But, some of us will experience joy at a higher level than others that God is worshiped because we will enter heaven having prayed for such before dying.
In heaven we will still pray that others worship God in spirit and in truth. Everyone will surely be able to grow in their worship of God. This will not be growth in purity, as all worship will be holy. However, worship will be able to grow in other qualities such as more joyfully, more comprehensive regarding God’s nature, and with more expression (additional hymns and songs, instruments, etc.). In these ways, all of us will need God’s help to grow with respect to worship.
Heaven is not a place where we no longer need God’s help, but where we are unhindered in accessing it. And it is reasonable that God will help others through us. Therefore, it is likely that in heaven we will still pray for God to help others grow in natural, spontaneous worship.
In like manner we will still pray for one another’s growth in many other Togethers that will still exist in heaven, some of which are seeking the kingdom of God together, belonging to one another, being devoted to one another, and meeting one another’s needs. We will continue to pray for one another regarding those Togethers that are not solely tied to sin in some way. Doing so now will only make our spirits strong to pray similarly in heaven when we arrive there.
Then there are those Togethers where praying for them now will not be relevant to praying for them in heaven. We pray now that others do these Togethers, but they will not be needed or applicable in heaven because they require the presence of sin. Some of these are carrying one another’s burdens, forgiving one another’s sins, facing discipline and judgment together, and proclaiming the gospel and being the light of the world. Praying that others do these vanishing Togethers now makes sense, but doing so does not prepare us to pray for them in heaven. Instead, other changes take place in our spirits when we pray now for those in our Christian Inner Circles to do these kind of Togethers.
Carrying one another’s burdens of sin will be one of them. Praying God’s help to empower one another to let go of things of this world in order to help another who is trapped by the consequences of sin increases our spirit’s capacity to care for other people. This translates to heaven where caring about other citizens is still indispensable, just not caring that relates to paying the consequences of sin.
There may be other ways in heaven to develop a more caring spirit, but this one very powerful method of praying that believers help pay the consequences of one another’s sins will not be one of them. And it is likely that none of these other ways will effect change so powerfully, since this Together is so close to Jesus paying the penalty for the sins of others.
Taking this example into speculation, imagine that someone enters heaven with too low an opinion of himself or herself. He or she will not be aware of the inadequate self-image. However, in heaven that self-image will grow from a small recognition of one’s design by the hand of God toward a huge acceptance that he or she is a wonderful design from the creative mind of God.
Further, imagine that this journey toward rightful assessment of self requires 437 units of caring by other citizens of heaven. One of us will have been great at praying often for others to carry the burdens of struggling people before we died. That will have developed in us an ability to care at a level of 37. Another will be able to contribute 15 units and another can care at the power of 12. Now God only needs citizens of heaven to come along and contribute 373 more caring contributions for complete healing to take place.
Citizens of heaven who want to be able to contribute to this healing process will not be able to increase the strength of their caring by praying that others will carry the burdens of others. There will be no burdens; no sins, no consequences. There might be in heaven other ways to increase the spirit’s capacity to care, but not like it can be strengthened against a sinful, uncaring society.
It takes considerable caring to pray that other Christians will help pay the consequences of the sins of other believers. Because it is usually not something of our immediate concern, we seldom seek God in prayer to prepare others to carry burdens. Those who do pray that they and others in their Christian Inner Circles will carry the burdens for others have to care about people more than the average believer. The result is that their spirits grow in the ability to care. They become more caring individuals.
There are vast reasons to pray for one another now, but one of them is to develop our spirits in many different ways. Let’s make praying for one another a priority to be more ready for life in heaven.
How this Together Can Make It Really Good in Heaven
Praying that the other believers in our Christian Inner Circles will do the Togethers more and more will develop our spirits because to pray this way pushes us to care about 65 different things that glorify God. Therefore, we should now be praying for one another about all of them. Focusing on each one of the Togethers will alter our spirits in various ways for heaven.
Some of the Togethers will still be done in heaven. For example, Worship God Together is one of the Togethers we will definitely do in heaven. Praying now that others will worship God with other Christians in spirit and in truth will require us to really care that God is worshiped by His people. In heaven we will fervently pray that all of the citizens of heaven worship. But, some of us will experience joy at a higher level than others that God is worshiped because we will enter heaven having prayed for such before dying.
In heaven we will still pray that others worship God in spirit and in truth. Everyone will surely be able to grow in their worship of God. This will not be growth in purity, as all worship will be holy. However, worship will be able to grow in other qualities such as more joyfully, more comprehensive regarding God’s nature, and with more expression (additional hymns and songs, instruments, etc.). In these ways, all of us will need God’s help to grow with respect to worship.
Heaven is not a place where we no longer need God’s help, but where we are unhindered in accessing it. And it is reasonable that God will help others through us. Therefore, it is likely that in heaven we will still pray for God to help others grow in natural, spontaneous worship.
In like manner we will still pray for one another’s growth in many other Togethers that will still exist in heaven, some of which are seeking the kingdom of God together, belonging to one another, being devoted to one another, and meeting one another’s needs. We will continue to pray for one another regarding those Togethers that are not solely tied to sin in some way. Doing so now will only make our spirits strong to pray similarly in heaven when we arrive there.
Then there are those Togethers where praying for them now will not be relevant to praying for them in heaven. We pray now that others do these Togethers, but they will not be needed or applicable in heaven because they require the presence of sin. Some of these are carrying one another’s burdens, forgiving one another’s sins, facing discipline and judgment together, and proclaiming the gospel and being the light of the world. Praying that others do these vanishing Togethers now makes sense, but doing so does not prepare us to pray for them in heaven. Instead, other changes take place in our spirits when we pray now for those in our Christian Inner Circles to do these kind of Togethers.
Carrying one another’s burdens of sin will be one of them. Praying God’s help to empower one another to let go of things of this world in order to help another who is trapped by the consequences of sin increases our spirit’s capacity to care for other people. This translates to heaven where caring about other citizens is still indispensable, just not caring that relates to paying the consequences of sin.
There may be other ways in heaven to develop a more caring spirit, but this one very powerful method of praying that believers help pay the consequences of one another’s sins will not be one of them. And it is likely that none of these other ways will effect change so powerfully, since this Together is so close to Jesus paying the penalty for the sins of others.
Taking this example into speculation, imagine that someone enters heaven with too low an opinion of himself or herself. He or she will not be aware of the inadequate self-image. However, in heaven that self-image will grow from a small recognition of one’s design by the hand of God toward a huge acceptance that he or she is a wonderful design from the creative mind of God.
Further, imagine that this journey toward rightful assessment of self requires 437 units of caring by other citizens of heaven. One of us will have been great at praying often for others to carry the burdens of struggling people before we died. That will have developed in us an ability to care at a level of 37. Another will be able to contribute 15 units and another can care at the power of 12. Now God only needs citizens of heaven to come along and contribute 373 more caring contributions for complete healing to take place.
Citizens of heaven who want to be able to contribute to this healing process will not be able to increase the strength of their caring by praying that others will carry the burdens of others. There will be no burdens; no sins, no consequences. There might be in heaven other ways to increase the spirit’s capacity to care, but not like it can be strengthened against a sinful, uncaring society.
It takes considerable caring to pray that other Christians will help pay the consequences of the sins of other believers. Because it is usually not something of our immediate concern, we seldom seek God in prayer to prepare others to carry burdens. Those who do pray that they and others in their Christian Inner Circles will carry the burdens for others have to care about people more than the average believer. The result is that their spirits grow in the ability to care. They become more caring individuals.
There are vast reasons to pray for one another now, but one of them is to develop our spirits in many different ways. Let’s make praying for one another a priority to be more ready for life in heaven.
How this Together Can Make It Really Good in Heaven
I remember Kathlene from my time back on earth before death. When I met her, she only came to church once in a while to feel like she was doing something she should. She was not involved with other Christians at that time. I befriended her and prayed that she would eventually accept my invitation to join the small group I attended.
From this view from heaven, I realize that my spirit changed because I prayed for Kathlene to meet regularly with other Christians. I always valued meeting with believers often, but praying that Kathlene would do so added value that shows up here. I can sense that when I meet with so many citizens of heaven, there is a very high conviction that these meetings are very, very, very special. I think that if I had not prayed for Kathleen to meet with other Christians regularly, I would only be able to describe my experience with one “very”. |
Praying for one another with respect to the Togethers enhances the experience in heaven forever. Just as seasoning enhances the taste of foods, so going the extra mile with the Togethers by praying that others do them enhances eternal life. In essence, we pray that others will be more obedient when we pray that they implement the Scriptures that make up the Togethers and reap their harvest.
When we pray for a Together which we do well and have advanced in it to be more like Jesus,
such praying acts like a supercharger for the benefits that particular Together brings in heaven. For example, bearing with one another is a Together that changes our spirits to more fully understand and value people. Before death, putting up with others who hurt us made our spirits extremely strong in the ability to overlook differences in the way people see things. In heaven where there is no hurt to look past, the benefits of bearing with others who hurt us will make us more able to enjoy people very different from us in culture, dress, and habits. The enhancement for those who also prayed for other Christians to be able to put up with the sins and the irritations of others will be an extra boost to appreciating people.
What about when, before death took us to heaven, we prayed for Christians in our Inner Circles to do a Together which we largely ignored, maybe with the thought that we were delegating it to them so we didn’t have to expect ourselves to do it. Let’s use hospitality as our example. The benefit of being hospitable more than occasionally is that we will in heaven be fairly comfortable being around the other citizens of heaven. If we ignored obedience to the instruction of the Bible to be hospitable, when we arrive in heaven we will not have spirits very capable of meeting different people and will gravitate to people like ourselves. Heaven will not be enhanced because our spirits have not yet grown in openness to the great variety of people.
But, if we only have prayed that other Christians will open up their homes in hospitality, we will have at least placed the spark of hospitality in us. And that can give a start to meeting and enjoying people of different cultures, centuries and dress in heaven. We will have opened the door a bit. That peek through praying that others be hospitable will be something to build on in heaven. It will be like a faint spark that can get tinder smoking that then can become a small fire that eventually grows in size.
What if a person was neither hospitable nor prayed that others would be obedient to God’s expectations to be hospitable? That person’s spirit will likely have very little inclination to hospitality, if any at all. Of course, the environment of heaven will help that person eventually become hospitable. But, like an adult who never learned to swim and was afraid of the water, progress will be difficult.
Praying that others will have food, clothing, shelter and other similar needs will make it easier to pray in heaven that others will take advantage of heaven’s tremendous opportunities. Praying for the spiritual growth of others, that they will become more faithful to God and build other strengths of their spirits will give us the ability in heaven to continue to pray for the spiritual development of others. We will both thoroughly enjoy praying that someone will succeed in learning to play a musical instrument for the first time as well as have great joy in heaven praying that someone will appreciate God’s grace at a higher level.
Let’s look forward to how our prayers for one another will open opportunities in heaven and enhance the qualities of life there.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Empathy
When we pray for a Together which we do well and have advanced in it to be more like Jesus,
such praying acts like a supercharger for the benefits that particular Together brings in heaven. For example, bearing with one another is a Together that changes our spirits to more fully understand and value people. Before death, putting up with others who hurt us made our spirits extremely strong in the ability to overlook differences in the way people see things. In heaven where there is no hurt to look past, the benefits of bearing with others who hurt us will make us more able to enjoy people very different from us in culture, dress, and habits. The enhancement for those who also prayed for other Christians to be able to put up with the sins and the irritations of others will be an extra boost to appreciating people.
What about when, before death took us to heaven, we prayed for Christians in our Inner Circles to do a Together which we largely ignored, maybe with the thought that we were delegating it to them so we didn’t have to expect ourselves to do it. Let’s use hospitality as our example. The benefit of being hospitable more than occasionally is that we will in heaven be fairly comfortable being around the other citizens of heaven. If we ignored obedience to the instruction of the Bible to be hospitable, when we arrive in heaven we will not have spirits very capable of meeting different people and will gravitate to people like ourselves. Heaven will not be enhanced because our spirits have not yet grown in openness to the great variety of people.
But, if we only have prayed that other Christians will open up their homes in hospitality, we will have at least placed the spark of hospitality in us. And that can give a start to meeting and enjoying people of different cultures, centuries and dress in heaven. We will have opened the door a bit. That peek through praying that others be hospitable will be something to build on in heaven. It will be like a faint spark that can get tinder smoking that then can become a small fire that eventually grows in size.
What if a person was neither hospitable nor prayed that others would be obedient to God’s expectations to be hospitable? That person’s spirit will likely have very little inclination to hospitality, if any at all. Of course, the environment of heaven will help that person eventually become hospitable. But, like an adult who never learned to swim and was afraid of the water, progress will be difficult.
Praying that others will have food, clothing, shelter and other similar needs will make it easier to pray in heaven that others will take advantage of heaven’s tremendous opportunities. Praying for the spiritual growth of others, that they will become more faithful to God and build other strengths of their spirits will give us the ability in heaven to continue to pray for the spiritual development of others. We will both thoroughly enjoy praying that someone will succeed in learning to play a musical instrument for the first time as well as have great joy in heaven praying that someone will appreciate God’s grace at a higher level.
Let’s look forward to how our prayers for one another will open opportunities in heaven and enhance the qualities of life there.
Opportunity for a Closer Relationship with God through Empathy
Sometimes I sense God’s presence stronger than at other times. Like the other day. In the morning I was meeting some saints from Peru before World War I. It was wonderful, but a little awkward. I look forward to getting together with them next week, but while we were talking it seemed inside that I was only a little aware of God’s presence. I know that He was as present as ever, but I was only able to receive a small sense of His presence.
Then, that afternoon I was with a neighbor who was saying she wanted to learn to sky dive. She wanted to see things as a bird does, but she was not quite brave enough yet. Although I have never done it, I was doing my best to encourage her to give it a try since we no longer have any possibility of dying. While I was placing courage into her, I felt God’s presence strong, actually taking over my whole being. Tonight I have been pondering why the disparity in my sensation of God’s presence today. Here is my thoughts. Before I died and came to heaven, I resisted hospitality and did not make much progress in putting up with people who were different than me. That kept my spirit weak, so that now when I meet new people, I am not quite into the experience. God, on the other hand, is one who makes Himself available to all people. His presence would be felt most by heaven’s citizens who had strong spirits in hospitality and bearing with one another. On the other hand, before death, I was great at encouraging people. So, this afternoon when I was encouraging my neighbor, God and I had a strong connection and I felt His presence very powerfully. |
We gravitate toward others who care about what we care about. We draw closer even more to those who care about people we care about.
If we like camping, we gravitate towards others who like camping. Even if we do not camp with them, we like to be in conversation with them because they also care about camping. But, when others ask about our children or the health of our parents, we appreciate them a little more. If others like camping and also ask us about the people we love, we want to be with them the most.
God will enjoy our company if we care about what He cares about. If He cares about devotion of believers to one another and we are devoted, God will want to be around us. If, however, we care so much that God wants devotion in Christian Inner Circles and we pray for such in our own Christian friendships, families and marriages, God will want to be with us even more.
To make this more accurate, God will be with all of us in heaven, as He is now, 100 percent. It is our likeness to God that gives us the sense of His nearness. Suppose God shows up in our senses in heaven proportionately to our ability to perceive and comprehend. It would be like His signal is strong, but our receivers, our spirits, are somewhere between weak and fairly strong. This is kind of like a nose. A strong smell in the air will be sensed less with a stuffy nose.
Praying for one another is something like increasing the amplification of our receivers for the presence of God. Let’s do this.
Praise and Prayer Regarding this Together
I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to pray for one another as You would want us to pray. Help us to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit for all of us to give You more glory in the way we pray.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus and expand our praying beyond generalities to more specific concerns that accurately shows how much we really care for those for whom we pray. Help us to pray for both physical and spiritual needs for those in our Christian Inner Circles.
May our lives worship You more because we follow the example of Your trinitarian nature and discuss really critical prayer needs with one another and come to agreement before we come to You together in prayer.
Make us strong in Your power to defeat the devil by unleashing Your power against him in prayer before we act. Help us to remember that prayer is battle against Satan. Remind us, O Lord, to pray against Satan’s attacks on those in our Christian Inner Circles and that we together will stand up to the evil one on one another’s behalf.
Help us all to prepare for heaven by growing more naturally in talking to You because there we will pray continually without the hindrance of sinful distraction. Aid us in elevating Your desire that all of us conform to the image of Your Son Jesus by praying for the growth of one another’s spirits to be more like Jesus. We look forward to a closer relationship with You in heaven because we pray in a way that esteems You and Your desires for other Christians You place in our lives.
Ever increasing practice of the Togethers of Scripture will (1) create in you the loving essence of Jesus, (2) give Jesus the kind of love He requested, (3) provide you with the most significant spiritual lifestyle which is attainable only through Christian community, (4) offer significant worship to God by reflecting his own character back to him through your behavior, and (5) bring God’s kingdom to earth as asked for in the Lord’s Prayer. And for heaven, such growing obedience to Scripture now will later (6) qualify you for a more responsible place of service as reward in heaven, and, (7) most important of all, give you greater empathy with God for a closer relationship with Him for all of eternity.
If we like camping, we gravitate towards others who like camping. Even if we do not camp with them, we like to be in conversation with them because they also care about camping. But, when others ask about our children or the health of our parents, we appreciate them a little more. If others like camping and also ask us about the people we love, we want to be with them the most.
God will enjoy our company if we care about what He cares about. If He cares about devotion of believers to one another and we are devoted, God will want to be around us. If, however, we care so much that God wants devotion in Christian Inner Circles and we pray for such in our own Christian friendships, families and marriages, God will want to be with us even more.
To make this more accurate, God will be with all of us in heaven, as He is now, 100 percent. It is our likeness to God that gives us the sense of His nearness. Suppose God shows up in our senses in heaven proportionately to our ability to perceive and comprehend. It would be like His signal is strong, but our receivers, our spirits, are somewhere between weak and fairly strong. This is kind of like a nose. A strong smell in the air will be sensed less with a stuffy nose.
Praying for one another is something like increasing the amplification of our receivers for the presence of God. Let’s do this.
Praise and Prayer Regarding this Together
I and those in my Christian Inner Circle will need Your help to grow our spirits to pray for one another as You would want us to pray. Help us to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit for all of us to give You more glory in the way we pray.
Please help us all to become more like Jesus and expand our praying beyond generalities to more specific concerns that accurately shows how much we really care for those for whom we pray. Help us to pray for both physical and spiritual needs for those in our Christian Inner Circles.
May our lives worship You more because we follow the example of Your trinitarian nature and discuss really critical prayer needs with one another and come to agreement before we come to You together in prayer.
Make us strong in Your power to defeat the devil by unleashing Your power against him in prayer before we act. Help us to remember that prayer is battle against Satan. Remind us, O Lord, to pray against Satan’s attacks on those in our Christian Inner Circles and that we together will stand up to the evil one on one another’s behalf.
Help us all to prepare for heaven by growing more naturally in talking to You because there we will pray continually without the hindrance of sinful distraction. Aid us in elevating Your desire that all of us conform to the image of Your Son Jesus by praying for the growth of one another’s spirits to be more like Jesus. We look forward to a closer relationship with You in heaven because we pray in a way that esteems You and Your desires for other Christians You place in our lives.
Ever increasing practice of the Togethers of Scripture will (1) create in you the loving essence of Jesus, (2) give Jesus the kind of love He requested, (3) provide you with the most significant spiritual lifestyle which is attainable only through Christian community, (4) offer significant worship to God by reflecting his own character back to him through your behavior, and (5) bring God’s kingdom to earth as asked for in the Lord’s Prayer. And for heaven, such growing obedience to Scripture now will later (6) qualify you for a more responsible place of service as reward in heaven, and, (7) most important of all, give you greater empathy with God for a closer relationship with Him for all of eternity.