Over the past few weeks, I have been reflecting on what it means to effectively pray for those I work alongside. Praying for others is essential for any leader, or any follower of Jesus. As a pastoral leader, I have been considering the profound impact prayer may have or does have on the interactions we have with those we do life with. There are times when prayer is the only answer for the reason some breakthrough happened. I am reminded of the words of William Temple, a once Archbishop of Canterbury, who said “When I pray, coincidences happen. When I don’t, they don’t.” Most of us believe prayer works. Even among those I know who are not of faith, there is a belief that prayer holds value. However, for some reason, we find ourselves often unwilling to pray, or unsure how to pray for others.
The value of praying for others.
As the Director of Pastoral Ministries for a local organization that works with those suffering from poverty and homelessness, I have also been considering the profound impact prayer may have or does have on the interactions we have with the guests we encounter and those that we very intentionally walk alongside. If prayer leads to a breakthrough, then I want to pray more for those in which I walk alongside, those whom I have dedicated my life and love. Perhaps speaking to God about those who concern us is as valuable as speaking to them about God. Intercessory prayer holds deep significance for us as well; it’s a way God shapes our hearts to see as our Heavenly Father sees. As Pete Greig writes, “Intercession is impossible until we allow the things that break God’s heart to break our hearts as well.” Similarly, Corrie ten Boom reminds us that God often involves us in the answers to our prayers, saying, “If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf of the people for whom we pray.”
The scriptural challenge is to pray for others.
Countless scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments highlight the profound impact that one person’s prayer can have on another. In the New Testament, there is a clear challenge and call to consistently pray for the work of the Spirit in the lives of others. Paul very intentionally tells the Ephesian followers of Jesus, as well as us, that it is good to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18). Paul states that this is not just praying for ourselves, but rather that we should have minds that are alert to what is happening around us and in response to what is happening around us “always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18).
Paul models this level of prayer to the church living under the shadow of the Roman Empire when he expresses his heartfelt desire and prayer to God for the salvation of his fellow Jewish countrymen (Romans 10:1). This is also evident in his relationship with the church in Colossae, where he states, “we continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives” (Colossians 1:9). The Pauline letters are filled with challenges to pray for others and examples of Paul living this out.
The brother of Jesus instructs those in the early Jerusalem churches to “pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). In fact, those who are tired and unable to make progress on their own (meaning of sick in James 5:14) should go to the elders to be lifted up in prayer. As a leader of the emerging church, Timothy is instructed by Paul to make “petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving” on behalf of all people (1 Timothy 2:1). This call is directed to everyone in the local church community, from laypeople to leaders.
The difficulties of knowing how to pray for others.
We do not always know what to pray for or about concerning someone. Honestly, there have been many times when I’ve asked someone how I can pray for them, and they themselves don’t have an answer. Thankfully, Paul reminds us that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness” and “intercedes for us” (Romans 8:26). Additionally, we take strength in knowing Jesus is at the “right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:34). We should also remember that we are not the reason people experience God’s invitation or breakthrough. Instead, the letter to the Hebrews reminds us that people come to God because Jesus “always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25). We don’t pray alone, we pray with Jesus and with the Spirit of God.
Frameworks can give our prayers for others a starting place.
Having a framework to pray for others is helpful. As I have reflected on what it means to effectively pray for those I work alongside, I have looked to develop a framework of seven prompts that help me pray for others – a framework based on the Lord’s Prayer to more holistically pray for the spiritual journey of our guests—those I work with who are suffering from poverty and homelessness (Matthew 6:9-13). This framework provides a structured approach to praying for our guests—both communally and individually—even when we are unsure of what to pray for specifically, or when they do not know. The pattern of prayer that Jesus provides is intentional and follows a significant order. I have aligned these seven prayer prompts to the seven days of the week. Sunday through Friday focus on six concepts found in the Lord’s Prayer, and then, on Saturday—the original Sabbath day—I center our prayers on rest for our guests, asking God to grant them respite and to open their hearts to the opportunities available to them during their stay in our program. I have these seven prompts hung on the wall above my desk, and I try to remember it regularly as I start my day, or before a session with a guest.
Sunday
We pray our guests will encounter the goodness and good news of God’s character and learn to intimately trust God as their Heavenly Father.Monday
We pray our guests will experience God’s eternity, rule and reign in every area of their lives and that they will know and trust God’s will for followers of Jesus and God’s call on their life.Tuesday
We pray our guests will learn to trust God’s presence and present provision in their life and in each moment of their day, contently trusting what God has for them today is enough for now.Wednesday
We pray our guests will embrace God’s forgiveness, the power of God’s Spirit, and a transformed identity; and that the ability to extend forgiveness to others who have wronged them.Thursday
We pray our guests will be empowered by God’s guidance that keeps them from harm, trouble, temptation, old ways, and a way of life that is outside of God’s best for them.Friday
We pray our guests will know God’s protection but also liberation from the places evil has maliciously harmed them and from the places they have related to others with malicious intent.Saturday
We pray that our guests take hold of restful, reflective, and learning opportunities while at Water Street Mission, to cultivate a deeper connection with God, community, and themselves. May the words, works, and ways of Jesus take deep root in their hearts and minds.
This framework has enabled me to focus on praying for our guests more holistically, beyond just their immediate needs. I realized that, regrettably, my prayers had often been limited to the specific areas and needs that individuals had communicated to me. While asking how to pray for a guest remains an important practice, I also wanted to pray in a way that addresses all aspects of their lives and supports their spiritual formation. The scriptures seem to communicate that there is power and breakthrough that takes place through our prayers for others. You can easily look at the stories in Exodus 17 and Exodus 32 to understand the role of intercessory prayer.
Praying this framework for others may also benefit us.
I find the Lord’s Prayer not only historically and theologically significant but also profoundly impactful in shaping our spiritual formation. The Lord’s Prayer has become the central focus of my Doctor of Ministry work and journey at Kairos University. Drawing from its rich content, I have often developed other frameworks in the past for similar reasons. To pray more holistically for our guests, I think this framework (seven prayer prompts) pursues prayer as a deeper legacy. In the least, I hope praying through this framework for others will at least change me. Soren Kierkegaard once famously said, “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”
Praying for others is a way of downward mobility.
In a world and church often obsessed with excess and speed, praying for others embodies a simpler faith that values relationships and spiritual growth over worldly achievements. This Lead A Quiet Life blog on Patheos is inspired by the challenge of 1 Thessalonians 4:11 – and the pursuit of what it means to lead a quieter life at a slower pace, to discover a simple life and faith that embraces downward mobility in a chaotic world and church obsessed with excess. Though Paul challenges us in this passage to mind our own business, he doesn’t mean that we should be unconcerned with the plight of others. Rather, he is calling us to not be busybodies and involve ourselves in the affairs of others or worldly pursuits. Praying for others is a different idea altogether, a scriptural command, and to me, it reflects a commitment to downward mobility, by prioritizing the needs of others and seeking to support them through prayer. This is exactly the kind of quiet life we should pursue. In the past, I have explored this in another post called, The Lord’s Prayer: A Help in Leading A Quiet Life.
Closing thoughts.
I thought sharing this framework might be a helpful resource for others who are interested in praying in this way for our guests as well – or for those guests and clients in similar residential programs that they work with. So, I humbly offer it to you. Freely give, as you have freely received. You are welcome to edit and credit as needed. Jesus gave us this prayer, a way of prayer that is partially original to him and seemingly partially the conglomeration of many prayers of their day. Even more, Jesus gave it to us, in this order and way with great intentionality. Perhaps it will be fruitful to pray for the guests and clients in our care as well. After all, it is a prayer that makes us aware of the way the Kingdom is transforming our world and our lives, and it asks for God to bring transformation here and now. As Andrew Murray once wrote, “We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the Heavenly world, and can bring its power down to earth.” May it be so.
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