Romans 15:30-33
Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem. Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.
And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
One of the themes of a recent episode of A&E’s Duck Dynasty was helping out friends and family members. Jase Robertson noted that a perk of being part of the Robertson clan is that if you need help… all you have to do is ask for it. It’s no different in the Christian family…we help each other out in ways great and small. And one of the greatest ways we can help one another is through prayer.
I know that some of you hesitate to ask others to pray for you. You may be too embarrassed… or too proud. You may feel that your request would be an imposition. You may say, “He/she is so busy or has so many burdens. I can’t bother them to pray for me.” You may feel that you don’t need others prayers - that God hears you, and He will answer – and this is sufficient. You may feel that the intercessions of others are not necessary.
Here’s the deal. Praying for others is one of the privileges of being a Christian. When you don’t call on others to pray for you, a blessing is blocked. Christians do not have ESP… they cannot always discern when a friend or family member needs – or wants – prayers to be offered on their behalf. We must be open and honest… and ask our brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for us. By the same token… we must stay awake and alert. When we see a friend or family member with a need, we must offer to pray for them.
In Genesis 12:2 and 3, God tells Abram, “You will become famous and be a blessing to others. I will bless anyone who blesses you…” Prayer is a great tool for creating blessings – and peace. I have experienced both as I prayed for others… and as others prayed for me. So join your circle of friends and family in their struggle by praying to God for them out of Christian love. In the words of Duck Dynasty’s Uncle Si Robertson, “the buddy or family system means we help each other out.” The buddy system exists for Christians, as well. Are you praying for others and asking them to pray for you? Isn’t it time you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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