Praying for Hurting People:
- Help me understand and have Godly compassion for hurting people.
- Keep me from coming to this ministry with a judgmental attitude or an attitude of superiority.
- Teach me to discern the real issues that need to be addressed with hurting people.
- Help me separate between what hurting people may have done and who they are in Christ.
- Help me to see hurting people as You see them, Lord.
- Help me to represent Christ to them
- Fill me with You love for them.
- Define my role in their lives so that Your boundaries are in place.
- Keep my own past or present woundedness from interfering with my ministry to hurting people.
- Keep me from self-reliance.
Praying for Others
Many times, we focus on "visible", specific needs while neglecting "invisible" aspects of Christian life and growth. I have taken these four prayers of Paul from Scripture and listed the issues he felt were important to be praying about for his friends. I believe that this type of "pro-active" (as opposed to "reactive" praying based on current physical needs or crises) should be included as we uphold other believers in prayer.
Eph. 1:15-19
• May they know You better and better
• Reveal Yourself to them
• May they have spiritual wisdom
• Open their spiritual eyes to see things clearly
• Help them understand that You have chosen and called them for a purpose
• Show them what a rich inheritance they have
2 Thess. 1:11-12
• May You count them as ones who live lives worthy of their calling
• Fulfill every desire they have for doing good
• Give them the power to live lives of faith
• May You be glorified by the way they live
Phil. 1:9-11
• Make their love for you and others grow more and more
• Help them to have real knowledge and discernment so they can make the best choices.
• Help them to be sincere and blameless
• May their lives be filled with the fruit of right choices
Col. 1:9-12
• Fill them with the knowledge of Your will
• Give them spiritual wisdom and understanding
• Help them to live lives and make choices that please You
• May they bear fruit as they do good works
• Help them increase in their knowledge of You
• Strengthen them according to Your might
• Help them be steadfast and patient
• Help them live lives filled with thanksgiving to You
• Help them enjoy their relationship with you
Eph. 3:14-19
• Strengthen them with power through Your Spirit in the inner man
• Help them to abide in Your love
• Help them live lives characterized by faith
• May they be rooted and grounded in Your love
• Help them comprehend how much You really love them
• May they be filled up to all the fullness of God
