How to Love and pray for others

Being able to claim, ‘I was prayed for before I was born’ is one of my great spiritual privileges. I am confident of this by not only knowing my family, but seeing the results of these prayers in my life.

Any parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle can and should tell a child they are loved. As believers we can go to the next level of assurance for our loved ones and pray for them.

What confidence and assurance it gives me to know the prayer that surrounds me. It is important to tell people we are praying for them.

Colossians 1:9-14 gives 10 steps on how to pray for others. (Taken from The Message)

1. Pray non-stop from the first word of the person
2. Ask for a wise mind for them
3. Ask for their spirit to be attuned to God’s will
4. Ask for them to understand on how God works in the world
5. Pray they will live well for God
6. Pray they will learn to work well in God’s orchard
7. Ask for strength for them to stick it out for the long haul, not just teeth-gritting strength, but God’s glory-strength so they may endure the unendurable and be filled with God’s joy
8. Thank God for them to have His strength to take part in every bright and beautiful thing He has for the person
9. Ask and thank Jesus for rescuing them from their dead-end alleys and darkest dungeons
10. Ask and thank Jesus for giving them the opportunity to be a part of His Kingdom, bringing them out of the pit and taking away the sins they are doomed to keep repeating.