HOW CAN WE PRAY WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE?
I must confess-I get so confused about Facebook prayers. “Please pray” I just don’t really understand. What am I praying for? I have read Stormie O’Martian’s book The Power of a Praying Wife. It’s truly life changing. I believe in the power of prayer-I truly do! So, I don't enjoy "just praying". I need more details!
Romans 8:26 tells us "For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words". Once again, God convicts me by telling me that it's okay that I don't know how to pray for this person-my prayers are still needed.
Stormie tells us that we need to pray specifically and purposefully. How can we do that with just the words “Please pray” on Facebook? I understand that this person doesn't want their situation blasted over Facebook, but I think more information would be helpful. Perhaps a "I am having some struggles in my life right now. Please pray that God gives me peace while I am going through this storm, and that He grants me wisdome in resolving my situation." So again, how do we pray when we don't know what's going on?
Prayer has Four steps, according to The Lord's Prayer:
Address our Heavenly Father by saying His name, as in "Dear Lord" or "My Heavenly Father".
Thank God for His blessings. We can thank God for the blessings He has given the person we are praying for.
Ask Him for blessings. In this case, we can ask Him for blessings for the person we are praying for. We can say, "Please help Jane with her struggles" or "I ask You to give Frank wisdom while he's working through the conflicts in his life".
Close in the name of Jesus Christ. We do this because He is our Savior and our mediator. We also say Amen to show we accept/agree with our prayers.
Here's a simple prayer you could pray:
Dear Father, I am so grateful for having Jane as a friend, and I am so grateful for Your guidance in her life. I know that she is struggling now, Father, and has asked for prayers. I don't know the specifics of what is going on in her life, but You do. I ask that You help her stay focused on You and the blessings in her life. I ask that you give her peace as she goes through these trials. I also ask that you give her wisdom and discernment to make good decisions. Please help me to always remember to pray. I ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Let's all remember to pray for each other, even when we don't know what's going on. Let's also remember to pray without ceasing, as Paul directed us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Please comment and let me know your thoughts on this post-how do you pray for others?
