Make a Prayer Shift!

Letter

Building One Another

Therefore encourage oneanother and build one another up, just as you are doing.

I Thessalonians 5:11

Make a Prayer Shift

Consider the requests we often make when we pray for the people in our lives:

· for health and healing

· for concerns from our places of work

· for relationships with others

These are prayers for “well-being” for which we seek our Lord’s help.

Now read the apostle Paul's wonderful words about the prayers of Epaphras for those dear to him. What was Epaphras praying for?

"Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant ofChrist Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God." Colossians 4:12* ESV emphasis added.

Epaphras was praying for the spiritual vitality and maturity of the people in his home town. I am certain Epaphras also prayed for the well-being needs of those people since he loved them very much, but his prayers were also about their spiritual lives.

When you pray for others, what do you pray for?

Make a prayer shift. In addition to praying for people’s “well-being” needs, also pray for their growing discipleship – for their growing relationship withJesus and their knowledge of God and for their growing experience of faith, hope, and love.

Taken all together, you are praying for their encouragement and joy as we are all called to encourage one another!

Joy to you – E. Stanley Ott

©Copyright 2020E. Stanley Ott
*Scripture from the ESV

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Show Notes

Consider who are the people you pray for regularly? For what do you pray for them. Are your prayers typically "Shalom" prayers - prayers for their well-being, such as health, or work, or relationships?

Make a prayer shift and begin to also pray for their spiritual maturity. Some prayers in scripture you might consider prayer for these people include:

Ephesians 1: 15-17 and 1:18-23

Ephesians 3:16-19

Philippians 1:9-11

Luke 2:52 - pray this for the children in your life - that they would grow up even as Jesus did full of wisdom, stature and favor with God and with people.

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