Is Prayer Wasted on Some People?

 

Do you ever feel like giving up praying for those you love or care about just because they do not seem to change even though you've prayed for them for years? 

Really, does prayer for some people just hit the ceiling and do not reach the throne of God?

And what does the Bible say about praying for loved ones? Or does it say anything?

Gotquestions.org may answer some of those questions for you, and I am sharing them with you on today's post. Please read ahead:

Is there any scriptural basis for praying on behalf of the unsaved?

Christians are people of prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and some of our prayer requests are in regards to the spiritual condition of our unsaved friends and relatives. We want them to be saved, and we pray to that end. In this we agree with Charles Spurgeon, who said, “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”

We should be praying for the unsaved. Our Savior came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and a principal theme of Luke’s gospel is Christ’s compassion for those often regarded as outcasts in Israel. Our Savior “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), so when we pray for the salvation of an unsaved person, we are simply sharing in the stated desire of Jesus.

We should pray for the unsaved because, the truth is, it’s not possible for us mere mortals to know who God’s elect are before they become saved (think of Saul of Tarsus). Spurgeon once quipped that it would be nice if the elect had a big E stamped on their back, but, of course, they do not. We do know that all of God’s elect will indeed be saved at some time during their earthly sojourn (see John 6:37, 39), but that may not happen until the day they’re called home to be with the Lord (e.g., the thief on the cross). It is through people with “beautiful feet” who bring the gospel that God uses as the means of reaching His elect (Isaiah 52:7).

We all have people in our sphere of influence who are unsaved, and we should be praying for them because we care deeply about them and because we know that God cares for them and wants none of them to perish—His desire is for all of them to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). It is natural to pray for those we care about. Consider the compassion the young servant girl showed to her Syrian captor: “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy!” (2 Kings 5:3). Assuming that she prayed for Naaman, her prayer was on behalf of the unsaved. Consider the compassion Paul felt for his lost Jewish brothers: “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people” (Romans 9:2–3). Another devout servant of God’s—Moses—was, like Paul, ready to give his life for the sake of his people (see Exodus 32:32).

Jesus instructed us to pray for the unsaved in this manner: “Ask the Lord of the harvest . . . to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2). This prayer concerns the “harvest field” of evangelism in the world. It is a prayer that people will be saved and God will be glorified.

We have another biblical command to pray for the unsaved: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people. . . . This is good, and pleases God our Savior” (1 Timothy 2:1, 3). The Ephesian church (where Timothy pastored) had apparently stopped praying for the unsaved, and Paul was encouraging Timothy to make it a priority again. His desire was for the Ephesian Christians to have compassion for the lost. Once again, we have no way of knowing who the elect are until they respond. And as John MacArthur aptly points out, “The scope of God’s evangelistic efforts is broader than election” (Matthew 22:14).

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16), and “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12; cf. Psalm 34:15). God indeed hears the cries of His children. We know what happens to those who die in their sins, and that knowledge alone should prompt us to pray incessantly for our unsaved acquaintances in the hope that they, too, will respond to God’s call and join us in heaven.

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Truly, we should be praying for those that do not know Jesus. For it's their very eternity that is in the balance should they die without Him.

This question reminded me of my early marriage.

It wasn't long into it that it was evident that my husband was becoming an alcoholic. Those first years had been so hard. But sometime in about the 12th year, I got serious and started praying for him. God did not answer it right away. In fact, it was a couple more years or so down the road that my husband ended up in the hospital one day and had been admitted into the alcoholic's unit. That ended his drinking career and he lived for many years never taking another drink.

In the meantime, as he got sober, he also got saved and we started going to church. God had been so gracious to us during those years that followed and I will always be thankful for them and the man that I married. Because there were times beforehand that I had not been so thankful. 

I had not given up though once I started praying, even though it didn't happen when I wanted it to. Still God was faithful and it happened in His time, and not mine.

So, if you are praying for someone and not seeing positive results, don't give up. God knows what you need even before you do. And He hears every word you whisper on behalf of those you love.

Thanks for letting me share with you today.

God is good all the time.

And all the time God is good.

Have a blessed day.

What is a Prayer Chain

 

I think that most of us already know what a prayer chain is. However, just in case you are a new Christiaan and do not know what it is, I think it is a good question to answer. As in many questions, I went t gotquestions.org to get a good answer for this, so please read on

What is a prayer chain?

A prayer chain is a group of people, usually associated with a church, who share prayer requests and commit to pray for needs as they arise. It’s called a “prayer chain” because the individual members are “linked” by prayer, and requests make their way from one person to another, following the “chain.” In a prayer chain, each link represents one person committed to pray for the needs of others. The more “links” in the chain, the more people are praying for the needs or struggles of others. The imagery of a chain also underscores the strength of God’s people who are united in prayer.

A prayer chain is not to be confused with a chain letter, which is a communication passed along to an ever-growing number of people, promising some benefit or the avoidance of some curse. Such letters (or emails) are hoaxes and have nothing to do with a prayer chain, which simply alerts the people in a set group that it is time to pray.

Those who participate in a prayer chain commit to pray for whatever need arises, when it arises. There is no reward promised; those who pray do so out of concern for others’ needs. They know they are entreating a God who hears them if they ask according to His will (1 John 5:14).

Many churches started their prayer chains with telephone calls: when one person received a phone call relaying a prayer request, he or she had the responsibility to call a predetermined set of other people to relay the message. In that way, the prayer information was disseminated quickly and efficiently. One person did not have to call all the people in the church; every person called a few. More recently, most churches have gone to an email or text-based prayer chain. In this system, a prayer request is channeled to one person who has the database, and that person will send a group text or email asking for immediate prayer. God’s people pray, and the Spirit makes intercession according to His will (see Romans 8:26–27). Other churches also utilize a website or a closed or private social media page as an online prayer chain.

In Scripture, we are commanded to pray, making our requests known to God with thanksgiving (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Colossians 4:2, Philippians 4:6–7). Jesus gave His disciples instructions about prayer, including a model prayer (Matthew 5:5–13). God wants to hear from His people. A well-organized prayer chain helps to inform God’s people concerning matters of prayer and also prompts them to pray.

James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” The concept of a prayer chain relates directly to that verse. We should confess our sins (and struggles) to one another and pray for one another. If God wills, our multitude of fervent prayers can avail much. We are not responsible for the outcome of the prayers, but we are commanded to pray, leaving us with peace that whatever matter we take to the Lord is in the best possible hands (see Philippians 4:6–7).

In short, a prayer chain is a group of people who have volunteered to pray for one another and encourage others to pray. They are the “minutemen” of prayer, ready at a moment’s notice to pray for whatever need develops. Their commitment creates a chain, long and strong, of praying saints. Our prayers are made in the confidence that things will always work out according to God’s will. When we see answers to prayer, the prayer chain then becomes a “praise chain,” and that’s a beautiful thing to see.

(source: gotquestions.org)

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This method of praying for each other, is a great way to pass on the needs of those partisipating in the chain.

Thanks for coming by today, Friends.

Have a great day and be blessed in Jesus!

Social Media Prayer Requests?

Here are a couple interesting questions for you?

Have you ever asked for prayer on any Social Media platform?

Do you think it is wrong to do so?

To be honest, I have never considered this. However, if my memory services me, I think I did request prayer on Facebook several years ago when we were traveling south on a trip.

But I think those are good questions, so I looked for answers on gotquestions.org to see what they said about it.

Here is what I found:

Should Christians post prayers on social media?

Of course, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest are not mentioned in the Bible. But some people are concerned that Jesus says something in the Sermon on the Mount that might prohibit Christians from posting prayers on social networking sites.

Here is Jesus’ command: “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” Is tweeting a prayer or posting one as a status update a violation of this command?

We know that Jesus’ words cannot be a prohibition against all public prayer, because Jesus Himself prayed publicly (Matthew 14:19; 26:26–27; Mark 8:6; Luke 23:34). Also, Jesus taught others to pray publicly (Matthew 6:9–13), and the early church prayed publicly (Acts 1:24-25; 4:31). Rather, Jesus’ words should be taken as a command against hypocritical public prayer spoken to attract attention. Jesus was condemning the self-serving practice of offering public performance prayers, show-offish prayers designed to make the people praying look spiritual in the eyes of those who heard them pray.

Prayer should be about communicating to God sincere confession, repentance, thanksgiving, worship, adoration, intercession, and petitions for guidance and/or other help. If prayer becomes a religious recital, not really even addressed to God but just spoken (or written) for the sake of the hearers (or readers), it is not truly prayer.

A prayer posted on Facebook or sent out on Twitter is public, but it need not be hypocritical. Jesus’ apostles not only prayed publicly (Acts 27:35), but also wrote down prayers for others to read (see Ephesians 3:14–19). Just as Paul wrote out a prayer for his Ephesian brothers and sisters in Christ, a sincere prayer of praise, thanks, or intercession on a friend's Facebook page can also be appropriate. If a tweeted prayer is wrong simply because the public can view it, then we should expect there to be no prayers in the New Testament. The truth is that the New Testament contains many prayers (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 15:5; Hebrews 13:20; Revelation 22:20).

Are some prayers on Facebook and Twitter of the hypocritical variety? Undoubtedly. Much of what is posted on social media is self-serving, and prayers often are as well. We should be careful about everything we post. Especially, we must guard against sharing religious-sounding words in order make ourselves appear spiritual. We should never offer a prayer as a “Jesus juke.”

James 1:19 says we should be “quick to listen and slow to speak.” These truths should be applied to posts on social media. We should always examine our motives for posting. We should always actually pray the prayer before we proclaim it publicly. Private prayer—simply having a heart-to-heart conversation with God—should be the essence of our prayer lives. Any public prayer we offer, on social media or elsewhere, should be an extension of our time alone with God.

Whenever we pray, and on whatever platform we express our prayers, our prayers should be for God’s glory, not our own. “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

S. Michael Houdmann

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While I agree with this article, I would submit also that there is a difference between prayer that is communicating to God, and prayer requests. Some of our communication to God is private. Prayer requests can help us by letting people know there is a need either for ourselves or on behalf of someone else, and we are asking God for answers

In asking God for prayer requests on behalf of others, we should be mindful of their privacy as well as for ourselves too.

Thanks for coming by, Friends.

Have a blessed evening!

Are You One of Those....

 

...kind of people that has a problem about praying in public. To be honest with you, I am one that has never liked to pray in public. But not to worry. There is good news for us. I found an answer on gotquestions.org that addresses this and gives us "permission" if you will to not feel guilty about it. (if you do) Read on:

How can I stop being nervous about praying publicly?

Many people find praying publicly or in a group to be a daunting prospect. Public speaking of any kind is one of the greatest fears experienced by people. Public prayer adds the extra pressure of the spiritual aspect and makes people even more nervous because of the potential impact public prayer may have on others. It should be remembered, however, that although prayer is commanded by God, public prayer is not. In fact, Jesus said when we pray, we should go into a room, close the door and pray in secret (Matthew 6:6). So the first thing to understand about public prayer is that it is not a necessity of the Christian life.

For those who want to join in praying publicly, there are several ways to reduce the nervousness that often accompanies the experience. First, it’s important to pray with a group of people with whom we are comfortable, those we are sure won’t judge us for our less-than-eloquent prayers. Praying with others can be a great comfort when we hear our needs being lifted to the throne of grace by those who care enough about us to do so. Others who hear us pray for them are similarly encouraged. A group of people who love one another and accept one another in love and humility will usually ease the fears of those who are nervous about praying in public.

Another way to ease the burden of nervousness is to pray silently in advance of the public session, asking God to direct our minds and hearts to Him and away from ourselves. When we direct our thoughts toward the Creator of the universe and allow ourselves to become immersed in His immense nature, we will find our thoughts and feelings about ourselves diminishing. Our concerns will be more centered on what God thinks of us, not what others think. God loves us with an uncompromising love, and if we belong to Him through Christ, He has put our sin as far from us as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), and He invites us to come boldly before His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Being mindful that He does not judge us for our lack of eloquence will go a long way toward easing nervousness. People look at the external, which includes the speech, but God sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

Finally, many people find that the sheer repetition of praying in public will ease the nervousness. Praying with others can be a very edifying experience, but ultimately prayer is the privilege of communicating with our heavenly Father who sees our hearts and knows what we need before we even ask. He doesn’t need to hear eloquence in our prayers in order to bless us and draw near to us. What He asks for is a contrite heart and a lowly spirit, things He will never refuse (Psalm 51:17), no matter how eloquent our prayers.

(source: gotquestions.org)

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So there you go, Friends. While God does want us to pray, He doesn't command us to pray in public. I always felt a bit guilty when I have been in a group and the question was asked, "Would anyone like to lead us in a word of prayer."  The article today, puts my guilt behind me now, and I know that I don't have to feel that way.

Thanks for sticking with me these past 2 days, Friends. I am feeling better and happy to be back giving you content again.

Thanks for coming by today. Have a blessed day!

Is it a Sin?

Is it a sin when we don't communicate with God? A good question, I think. So I went to gotquestions.org and the following is what they have to say about it.

What does the Bible say about prayerlessness?

Prayer is the lifeblood of a Christian’s walk with God. Prayer connects us to God, prayer is an active way to love and connect with others, and prayer makes room in the pray-er’s heart for God’s correcting voice. The Bible says to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), so anything other than a continual attitude of prayer and communion with God is sin. Anything that interrupts our connection to God or leads to self-reliance is wrong.

We could look at Adam and Eve’s actions in Genesis 3 as a type of prayerlessness. They eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and are too ashamed to speak with the Lord as He comes to meet them in the garden. They are disconnected from God in their sin; their communication with Him is interrupted. Adam and Eve’s “prayerlessness” was sin, and it was caused by sin.

Can you imagine someone claiming to be your best friend and never talking to you? Whatever friendship was there would certainly be strained. Similarly, a relationship with God is impoverished and fatigued without communication. Prayerlessness is antithetical to a good relationship with God. God’s people will have a natural desire to communicate with their Lord. “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly” (Psalm 5:3). The biblical commands to pray are accompanied by wonderful promises: “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).

Christ is our best example of prayerfulness. He Himself was a man of prayer (see Luke 3:21; 5:16; 9:18, 28; 11:1), and He taught His followers to pray (Luke 11:2–4). If the Son of Man saw a personal need to pray, how much more should we see the same need in ourselves?

Prayerlessness ignores the gift of intercession that God has given us. We are called to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ (James 5:16). Paul often solicited the prayers of God’s people on his behalf (Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:25), and he was faithful to pray for them (Ephesians 1:16; Colossians 1:9). The prophet Samuel saw prayers on behalf of the people of Israel as a necessary part of his ministry: “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23). According to Samuel, prayerlessness is a sin.

Prayerlessness is defiance toward God’s command to love others. And we are not only to pray for people who are easy to pray for. “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people” (1 Timothy 2:1). Jesus tells us that we must also pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). This is the message of Christ, to love and support everyone with prayer, even those who are hard to love.

Prayer makes room for the correcting voice of God. Prayerlessness weakens our ability to hear Christ when He whispers words of correction or conviction to our spirits. Hebrews 12:2 reminds us that Christ is the “pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Without His Spirit living in our hearts, we would be on a rough road following our own judgments. As we pray for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), the contrariness of our own wills is revealed.

Matthew 26:41 offers another admonition: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Prayerlessness clouds our hearts to the temptations surrounding us and leads to further sin. We only become wise to the ways of our hearts through the Spirit’s illumination and direction. And it’s only in the Spirit’s power that our prayers are effective (see Romans 8:26–27).

Prayer is our lifeline and connection to God. Christ showed the opposite of prayerlessness in His walk on earth and modelled a prayer-filled life.

(source: gotquestions.org)

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For sure. Prayer is our lifeline connection to God. Why would we not want to communicate to a God that wants to have a relationship with us?  I am thankful for the daily privilege of knowing that God is always waiting to hear from me and I hope you take advantage of it as well

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. Have a wonderful and blessed day. God is good!