For Whom Did You Pray Today?
“The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:15-16).
If you look at the contents of most church bulletins, you’ll invariably find a list of people in need of prayer. Many of these folks are sick, battling serious diseases such as cancer or other ailments. Some are hospitalized with illness or injury. Still others may be shut-in or in nursing facilities. Some may need prayers of encouragement as they go through grief or challenging times.
Many of these prayer lists are quite long (ours, for instance), with some names remaining on the list for months and possibly years.
Do we genuinely care about the aforementioned people? Of course! However, if we are not careful we may become so accustomed to the long list of names that we limit our prayers to certain ones, while omitting others.
As James stated in the aforementioned passage, Christians should continue to pray for one another, especially those that struggle will sickness or even certain sins.
That said, I’d like to issue the following challenge, which will richly bless those on our sick list. Commit 20-25 minutes, at least once a week, to placing our sick list before you (and your family), and pray for EVERY person listed. Believe me, this will bless others more than you know.
What a privilege is to go to God firsthand and pray on another’s behalf! Remember, we are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). So for whom did you pray today?
A Recommitted Me in 2023!
Dennis
“The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:15-16).
If you look at the contents of most church bulletins, you’ll invariably find a list of people in need of prayer. Many of these folks are sick, battling serious diseases such as cancer or other ailments. Some are hospitalized with illness or injury. Still others may be shut-in or in nursing facilities. Some may need prayers of encouragement as they go through grief or challenging times.
Many of these prayer lists are quite long (ours, for instance), with some names remaining on the list for months and possibly years.
Do we genuinely care about the aforementioned people? Of course! However, if we are not careful we may become so accustomed to the long list of names that we limit our prayers to certain ones, while omitting others.
As James stated in the aforementioned passage, Christians should continue to pray for one another, especially those that struggle will sickness or even certain sins.
That said, I’d like to issue the following challenge, which will richly bless those on our sick list. Commit 20-25 minutes, at least once a week, to placing our sick list before you (and your family), and pray for EVERY person listed. Believe me, this will bless others more than you know.
What a privilege is to go to God firsthand and pray on another’s behalf! Remember, we are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). So for whom did you pray today?
A Recommitted Me in 2023!
Dennis
RSS Feed