A Guide To Intercessory Prayer
by Rev. Richard W. LaFountain

Step 7... Pray One For Another
HOW TO PRAY FOR PEOPLE:

Study the church directory of families, and individuals.   Scan the
list of members and adherents asking God to lead you to pray for
particular people. Using a pictorial directory, or a group photo of
the church family can be very helpful in searching for whom to pray.

When at church, in the sanctuary, walk up and down the isles stopping
at pews to pray for individuals and families who sit there.  It is
better to pray specifically for two or three families than to pray
generally for dozens by just listing their names.

WHAT TO PRAY FOR:

1. Scripture says to "pray one for another" (James 5:16) so that you
can be healed.  The passage generally refers to physical healing, BUT
the prayer for one another is about our mutual weaknesses, faults, and
sins.  Job was not healed himself until he prayed for his friends who
had treated him unfairly. (Job 42:10)

2. Jesus said when we pray we should "forgive" those who trespass
against us, those who don't like us, those who despitefully use us,
those who don't or won't talk to us, those who make angry us, those
who snub us, and those who are not yet our friends. (Mat. 6:14-15)

3. We should pray for the "stranger within our gates", that is the
visitors that drop in to our church, and new families that appear once
in a while among us.  (3 John 1:5)

4. We should pray for the "fatherless and widow(ers)", that is, those
bereaved by a recent loss.  Pray for the elderly who have lost a life
long partner in the last year of two.  Pray for families who have had
a recent loss of a parent, child, or relative.  For mothers who have
had miscarriages. (James 1:27)

5. We should pray for God's "prosperity and blessing" on our brothers
and sisters in Christ. (3 John 1:2)  Pray for financial blessings, for
restored losses, for jobs, promotions, and success.

6. We should pray for protection, "a hedge of protection" about
believers against sickness, spiritual attack from the enemy,
temptation, accidents, etc.  (Ezekiel 22:30)

7. We should pray for "marriages that are troubled," young couples
contemplating marriage, young people to be kept pure. (1Pet. 3:7, 1
Corinthians 7:1-40)

8. We should pray for "spiritual growth" of our brothers in Christ.
Paul often included outlines of the prayers he made for spiritual
maturity of believers.  Study them.  Imitate them. (Eph. 1:16-19/
3:14-19/ Philip. 1:9-10/ Col. 1:9-12

9. We should pray for the "backslider", the prodigal sons and
daughters, people who used to walk close to God, those overtaken in a
fault, a vice, or a temptation. (1 John 5:16)

10. We should pray for the "gifts" in the church, and pray God to
bring in other gifts and gifted people to strengthen the church. (Eph
4:11-16)