Praying for Fellow Church Member
Summer 2021
The prayer life of a Christian is the health meter of the soul. As the hymn writer James Montgomery aptly put it, "Prayer is the soul's sincere desire...the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast." Our prayer life forges vital communication between us and the Lord. An important dimension of that should be intercession for our brothers and sisters in Christ, particularly those within our own church fellowship. Praying for others is a spiritual investment that will not only benefit those we pray for, but our own souls. Andrew Murray said, “Just like the Lord, each believing intercessor has his own immediate circle for whom he first prays. Parents have their children, teachers their pupils, pastors their flocks, all workers their special charge, all believers those whose care lies upon their hearts. It is of great consequence that intercession should be personal, pointed, and definite.”
Praying for other believers is "just like the Lord"—the pattern of Christ—who said to Peter, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not”(Luke 22:23). It is a gracious privilege, a selfless act, and one that encourages unity in the fellowship. It helps to heal misunderstandings and shrivels the root of bitterness. Holding up a brother or sister struggling with turmoil strengthens a weak heart and honors our Father in heaven.
One verse that illustrates the heart of praying for fellow believers is Galatians 6:2, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Burdens are weights. When we are overloaded with the cares of this life and its responsibilities, sometimes the weight can be overwhelming. At such times, it is an encouragement to have a brother or sister lift up our name, our cause, our trial, to the throne of grace. Burden-bearing in prayer for one another is a vital ministry that is the privilege and duty of every Christian.
The God-glorifying result of bearing one another's burdens is fulfilling the “law of Christ.” The law of Christ is the whole compendium of teaching in the gospel. It is all that Christ taught about loving our neighbor as ourselves. It is at the core of what selfless service to others means. It is impossible to fully comprehend how the “law of Christ” can be distilled down to such a simple expression of bearing the needs of others. But this is how the Lord thinks. And we would all be wise to consider deeply the things that God values most. It is more often the seemingly small things that God takes the most pleasure in. This behavior is near to the heart of God. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” When we reach out to someone in time of adversity, we are showing the true nature of Christ’s love. He leads the way as a Friend who loves us at all times and an elder Brother who ever lives "to make intercession for us” (Hebrews 7:25). Reaching out in prayer is Christ-like.
Are we too busy or preoccupied to do this ministry for others? Perhaps the illustration of Samuel's prayer for Israel is relevant here. Israel desired a king and Samuel gave them God’s warning about the consequences, but they persisted. Their choice cost the nation when God revealed His displeasure. As the people repented for ignoring God's warning, they pleaded with Samuel to pray for them. They didn't deserve his prayers, but they needed his intercession on their behalf. Samuel could have told them, "I told you so" but he responded lovingly, “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23). May the sin of neglecting others not be crouching at our door. It can happen so easily with demanding schedules and burdens of our own. If so, we need to seek God for help and guidance, so that we don't grieve Him by our lack of engagement at the throne of grace on behalf of others.
Praying for one another within the church membership is a worthy sacrifice. A good place to start is by taking the names from the church address book or the list of members and adherents and praying down through the list—not robotically, but with the purpose of helping to ease those burdens in their life. This kind of meaningful praying will please the Lord, benefit others, and greatly enrich your own spiritual life.
Rev. Larry Saunders | Minister of Toronto FPC, Toronto, ON