Praying for Loved Ones

One of the best things we can do for those we love is pray for them-not a casual, fleeting thought of them during our prayers, but fervent, diligently pray for them.  Over the years, I have come to learn and believe in the power of prayer, although, I have not always been willing to share my experiences for fear of what my "friends" or family would think of me.

However, as I have grown closer to Christ, one of the things I have come to see is the power of personal testimony.  I pray for my friends and family daily- I even keep a prayer journal to help me remember specific requests that have been made to me.  I try to follow up on a regular basis as often as possible, and when I can I tack the results of the prayers.  This follow up is more for me-when I struggle, it is comforting to me to go back and see the numerous answers to prayers that I have forgotten I ever prayed.

To pray for our loved ones is to really love them.  It is seeking out the best for them, with or without their knowledge.  I have had people pray for me in times of need, and I can tell you from experience, that I was comforted by the knowledge that others were calling out to God for me.  It's like having a friend call in the calvary when someone is picking on you.

That being said, I have had a several people ask me how to pray for others.  There is, of course, the traditional, fleeting prayer that we often hear children utter; the classic"God bless so and so".  This is fine, God knows what blessings we all need and is quick to respond and provide for us, but there are other ways to pray for our loved ones.

Specific Requests:
I have often prayed for specific requests, when friends or family have asked me to.  For someone to ask another person to pray for them, is a call for help.  It is an extremely vulnerable position to tell others that we need help, even more so to be clear and specific in what we are struggling with.  To tell someone we love and respect that we need help with our health, our mental struggles, our physical or spiritual struggles creates in us an openness to be hurt, ridiculed or rejected.  When we are asked to offer prayer, we need to remember that the other person is open to us and our reactions can reverberate more than we realize.

When praying for specific requests, it is important to be clear, concise and gentle.  Remembering that it is an honor when our loved ones ask us to pray for them.  Also, when possible, pray in the moment with the person.  People ask for prayer when they are most in need.  When we take a moment, and offer a prayer in the moment, we model our faith, we show the other person that their heart is important to us, and we prove to them that we take the request seriously.

Unrequested Prayers:
Sometimes, we see a need that others may not be ready to see.  Perhaps a loved one has walked away from the faith, they are living a secular life, but they cannot see how far they have walked from Christ, or someone is dealing with an addiction that they don't recognize, or maybe they have trouble coping with emotions (depression, anxiety, anger, etc).  It is when we offer prayers for loved ones, that we perhaps offer the greatest gift.

To pray for someones heart, soul and life- and to do so quietly- is such a gift.  It means that we are not using God or prayer as a way to manipulate or guilt others into doing what we want, but that we genuinely are concerned for them.  I personally have prayed several times for family who have walked away from the faith.  When my son was a teenager, I prayed often that if he was doing something that was ungodly and potentially harmful, that he would be discovered and have to deal with the consequences.  The purpose was not to have my son live as I wanted him to, but rather to have him be guided towards a safe and godly life.

Don't misunderstand this point- if you pray for someones unrequested needs, and you tell them that you are doing this, you risk doing great harm to that persons faith and personal journey with Christ.

Tips for Praying for others:

1. When praying for others, remember the vulnerability of the person, and treat requests with respect and honor.  
2. If someone asks you to pray for them, offer to pray in the moment-not just "I'll keep you in my prayers".
3. Praying for others is a gift, we can request what we want, but in the end, we must remember that God does for us what is best.  We need to seek His will and be honoring of his answers.
4. Keeping a prayer journal can be a powerful reminder of Gods grace and creativity in His answers.

We should all pray for each other how can I pray for each of you today?