The Follow Through
The phrase “praying for you” has become something people say as casually as “hello, how are you?”. While this is great, it made me start to wonder if the power behind prayer is getting lost. We may say it with good intention, but when we walk away from that conversation, or after we hit send, are we actually following through? There is such power behind prayer, yet at times when someone tells me they will pray for me, I wonder, but will you, cause I really do need it. Admittedly, I’m guilty of doing this to others and want to be better at turning my intention into action. We are even instructed through Scripture;
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” – James 1:22
The follow through is more important than we realize. I’ll pray for you, while comforting when we need to hear it, is nothing without the follow-through which provides an invitation to God into real situations. When you pray, you are actively bringing someone’s situation before God with the expectation for God to move. When someone is told they are being prayed for, it’s encouraging and uplifting. It's a connection that reminds us we are believing for the same thing, it’s providing hope and peace during difficult moments, and it’s opening the door for deeper connection. Whenever you are actively praying for someone, you are more likely to check in on them or simply remind them that you are still praying on their behalf. All these behaviors are demonstrating how God designed relationships and prayer to work together.
Praying for others also has a beneficial impact on our own faith. It gives us discipline and deepens our relationship with God and His will. When we’ve attached our faith to a need for someone else, and see the answers of the prayers unfold, it’s building our faith muscle for the next time there is a need for ourselves. I will always be someone else’s biggest hype girl!
You need a healing!? It’s done because by His stripes we are healed!
Your friend needs money!? Great, also done cause He always provides!
Then when I find myself in the other seat, when I have a need and all the sudden I forget all the things I proclaimed to everyone around me, I’m reminded of a time that I prayed for someone and we saw God move. This in turn encourages me to be more expectant!
Recently our family was at an event with raffle baskets. My daughter had her eye on the Barbie basket and when they pulled the winning ticket and did NOT announce her name, she still went up to receive the basket. When I told her she didn’t win she looked at me and said,”but I put all my tickets in that bag”. It never occurred to her she wasn’t going to win. We should pray the same way, fully expectant because we’ve already won!
He hears our prayers and always answers, yes, no or wait. All in deed are answered prayers. So, next time you tell someone you’ll pray for them, consider stopping right then and there, either holding hands and praying together aloud, or pressing pause on whatever else you’re doing, and lifting up their needs before God. It’s for them and you!