THE GREAT MEN WHO PRAYED FOR OTHERS

What is lacking in the Church today is not money or talented people but faithful people who will pray for others. The divine mission of the Church is success­fully completed not by might, nor by power but by the Spirit (Zech 4:6). As Christians, we should realize that we are responsible for the progress of the Church. But how can the flame of revival be kindled? How can the Church be revitalised?

Only by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Everyone should devote more time to prayer. But you, my friends, must fortify yourselves in your most sacred faith. Con­tinue to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit (Jude 20, NEB). We should help in the divine work through prayers. Ask God to open the door of the Word (Col 4:3), so that the true word may be propagated worldwide.

Let us study several great men who prayed for others.

Moses

In the Old Testament, Moses can be regarded as the greatest faithful man who prayed for others. Although God advised Moses not to pray for the Israelites, Moses still stood in the breach before God and prayed for the Israelites that God would turn away His wrath from destroying them (Ps 106:23). Had Moses not prayed for the Israelites out of his profoundest love pleading, “but now, if thou wilt forgive their sin — and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written”. (Ex 32:32), the Israelites would have been utterly annihilated.

The secret behind the victory of the Israelites over the Amalekites at Rephidim was the fact that Moses held up his hand in prayer (Ex 17:11). He prayed for them all day!

How earnest such a prayer was!

Praying for others is very important as it brings about victory and salvation. We should spend more time everyday kneel­ing in ardent prayer before the Lord for the weak brethren, for the faith of our family and for the salvation of mankind. This is good and acceptable to God our Saviour (cf I Tim 2:1-4; Jas 5:14).

Samuel

Samuel was a great prophet who prayed for others. He prayed for King Saul. It came about when King Saul rejected God, Samuel said, “Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way” (1 Sam 12:23).

Today the elders, deacons, evangelists and the teachers should take up the responsibility of praying for the members. At home, the parents should continually pray for the faith of their children. They should follow the example set by Job who constantly prayed for his children (Job 1:5).

Once there was a young lad who was serving drinks in a little known town in Que-Moy. There he had his first taste of alcohol. Before long, he was getting hooked on it. However, one day as his mother was having her morning prayer, she saw in a vision her dear son drinking away with his chums. Immediately she wrote a letter to him: “Have you begun the bad habit of drinking?”

God’s eyes see all, He manifest His power to help those who are honest with Him (2 Chron 16:9).

 

Having received his mother’s tender words of love, the lad refrained from drinking. An old preacher once said, “If the parents are to pray in tears for their children, the merciful heavenly Father will never forsake their children.”

It is hoped that we may be like the prophet Samuel, who prayed continually for the people.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah was the prophet who prayed in tears. He said, “My eyes are spent with weeping; my soul is in tumult; my heart is poured out in grief because of the destruction of the daughter of my people,.... my eyes flow with rivers of tears because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite …, O that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” (Lam 2:11; 3:48-49; Jer 9:1).

He secretly wept and prayed to God in tears for the Israelites who were proud, disobedient and rebellious towards God (Jer 13:17; 14:17). From the experience of Jeremiah we understand that earnest prayers for others are not in vain. Sometimes our prayers have quick answers, some are answered eventually — Jeremiah’s prayers were answered only after seventy years. Because of Jeremiah’s prayers for others, God promised; “I will bring them back to this land.” May we all strive to pray for the divine work of the Church.

Paul

Paul was another great man who prayed for others, in the New Testament. One who does not make full use of his time cannot become a prayerful man. And one who does not pray can never be able to accomplish any work for God. Paul spent a lot of his time on his knees. He prayed for all the churches and believers whom he continually mentioned in his prayers. To the Roman believers, Paul wrote; “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers” (Rom 1:9).

To the Ephesians he wrote; “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (Eph 1:15-16).

To the Philippians he wrote; “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy” (Phil 1:3-4). “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil 1:9—11).

He prayed unceasingly for the Colossian believers that they may he filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Col 1:9).

In leading the believers to embark on the sanctified path, Paul’s prayers have accomplished more than his preaching. Thus he said; “For this reason, I bow my knees before my Father”.

Conclusion

A person who prays for others must himself have a high degree of purity, the right motives, zeal and spiritual wisdom. Moreover, he must lead a life of dedication and self-sacrifice. Even Jesus, God incarnate Himself, prayed for others. Peter knew how to repent and resist the devil; he was able to regain strength to become a pillar of the church because the Lord prayed for him (Lk 22:31-32). Being the Eternal Father Himself, He still relied on the power of prayer. What more mortals like you and me?

You may not be endowed with the gift of speaking. You may not even be up and about meeting people and proclaiming the Good News. But you can he a Man of Prayer. In your own unique yet scriptural way, you can contribute to the growth of the Church —simply through your sincere prayers for others.