Let Me Pray for You

Ephesians 1:15-17

Verse 16  I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

    The last few days we have been talking about how friendships should be helping us grow spiritually and should be a tool for us to help others grow by using the three key points laid out by Paul in Romans 1:8-13.  Today we turn our focus to prayer.

    As Paul opens his letter to the church in Ephesus he calls them faithful followers and shortly thereafter he starts listing the things he prays for them.  This is a powerful list.  Imagine the congregation hearing this letter read and knowing that these things were being prayed for them.

    Did you notice how Paul starts out this section?  He has just finished talking about the wonderful blessing of God’s mysterious gift of salvation and then says, “…ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people…”  This is the connection that draws Paul to pray this list of things for them.  A connection he has just showed them is more than just about this life.  And that is why he knows these things on the list are so needed in their lives and ours.

    Notice how often he said he prayed for them according to our key verse?  He never stopped!  He was praying for them constantly.  How many friends can you say that you pray for continually?  How would it make you feel if you knew that was true of how your friend prayed for you?

    Most of our prayers for our friends are that their lives would be good, prosperous and healthy.  These are not the types of prayers Paul is praying for his friends and if we are to truly love our friends in Christ we shouldn’t limit our prayers to this either.

    Before we start talking about the list we need to remember who Paul says he is praying to – God.  He says he addresses God as “Glorious Father.”  His prayers for his friends stems from his own worship of God the Father because he knew that we can’t have “true blue” relationships with those around us until we are in right relationship with Him.

Making It Personal

    How often do you pray for your close friends?  How often do you hope they pray for you?  Is your relationship with God where it needs to be to love your friends the way you are supposed to as a Christian?

Making It Personal Kids

    Have you ever prayed for a friend?  Why did you pray for them?  Did you know that Jesus prayed for you?  Read John 17 and hear how Jesus prayed for Himself, His disciples and then for us.

Closing Prayer

    Father, thank You for wanting us to pray.  Thank You for encouraging us to pray for our friends.  Please teach us how to pray for them in a way that pleases You.  In Jesus’ name, amen.