If the prayer of one righteous person has great effect, imagine that effect multiplied by 100.
Each week, I am going to encourage you to pray for a specific person or group.
If you missed the previous post on effective prayer, read it here.
Effective prayer is a learned habit requiring discipline and diligence. To that end, I am encouraging you to write down the people you are praying for. Part of building and maintaining habits is to have reminders and tracking tools. Making a list isn’t self-righteous or sacreligious. It is a tool. We devote time to counting calories, monitoring money, checking Facebook, making to-do lists–is prayer of lesser importance?
About 2 years ago, I was able to lose about 25 pounds over a 6-month period. In the beginning, I was checking my measurements and weight weekly as well as tracking my activity. Within about 2 months, I didn’t have to check quite so often because the results were so obvious. In the same way, track your prayers–frequency, results etcetera–until you have built up to a consistent, effective prayer routine. If you start falling out of habit, go back to your original tracking methods. Prayer is a healthy habit–your spiritual health will decline if you don’t take care to do it.
Focus for this week:
Preachers & Bible Class Teachers
Teachers have the power to encourage or lead astray. They need prayers in their endeavors. It is no small duty to be a teacher, for we know that they will receive stricter judgement.
If you’re not sure what specifically to pray for, here are some suggestions:
Pray for them to teach with the Word of God without fear.
“Fear?! This is America! People don’t get put to death for teaching the Bible!”
True, we are in America. Yet, more and more, people are under attack for proclaiming the Word. They lose businesses, jobs, and reputations for taking a stand.
It isn’t just happening outside either.
In the church, a preacher can face losing their job; a bible class teacher might face an irate parent or the wrath of the man or woman who disagrees with them. Preaching the word might even lead to a lost friendship.
Pray that the preacher in your congregation teaches the truth without fear; pray that the bible class teachers will do the same. Write down their names and pray for them.
Pray that they will use the right words at the right time.
Have you ever kicked yourself for thinking of a good response to someone after your conversation? I have. More than I care to admit. A timely and accurate response is worth it’s weight in gold. It can sway someone who is teetering on the edge to turn to God or to turn away. Teachers and preachers have this opportunity regularly. Pray for them.
Pray for them to teach the Truth.
Yup. I said the ‘T’ word.
Truth isn’t relative, my friends. Einstein came up with the theory of relativity for physics, not ethics and morals.
God expects those who worship Him to worship in Spirit and Truth. We have a responsibility to seek the truth for ourselves. Teachers have a responsibility to make sure they are teaching truth. They will have to answer to God for what they teach.
Pray diligently that God will guard their hearts and minds from attack.
Whenever a person makes the choice to teach God’s Word, they will come under attack in some form or another. Our enemy–Satan–cannot endure truth. He does not want anyone to be saved. You know the old saying, “don’t shoot the messenger.”? Satan does shoot the messenger. Pray that the “messengers” before you will endure and stand strong in what is right so that they will not lead anyone away from God.
Let us pray to great effect this week.
Remember: Keep asking. Keep watching. Keep trusting.
~Elihu
Elihu's Corner 