Pray for Me
I was struggling and I knew it. My emotions were all over the map, I was teetering on the precipice of depression as I huddled in my corner alone. I longingly desired to say the simple words: pray for me. I couldn’t. My mind shouted lies at me: you should be stronger than this; you’re supposed to be leading others; you can suck it up and fake it till you make it; Christians are supposed to be happy.
Have you been there? Those three little words, “pray for me,” can be so difficult to speak. They admit need. They declare an inability to measure up in some way. They open the door to being perceived as less than. They possibly announce sin or failure.
At times we rationalize not speaking up because of humility. We don’t want to make everything about “me.” We might even (mis)quote Philippians 2:3 & 4, “Don’t be selfish…think of others…take an interest in others.”
Let me be forthright: not being able to say those three small words is pride. Galatians 6:3 basically says if you think you’re “all that,” you are deceiving yourself. If you think you are someone without a need: you’re lying to yourself. If you think you are someone who doesn’t struggle: you are fibbing with the best of them. If you somehow think you are someone who doesn’t sin (and that others think you don’t sin): boy has someone pulled a whopper on you!
We are nothing without grace.
This is the truth of the gospel:
· We are saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:4 & 5).
· Salvation is not a reward for good works that we have done (Ephesians 2:9).
· We all have weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15).
· God is merciful and will provide grace to help us when we need it most (Hebrews 4:16).
One of the ways God provides for us is through each other.
Ecclesiastes 4:9 & 10 tells us two are better than one.
James 5:16 teaches us to confess to each other and share our spiritual needs with one another. We are then to pray for each other so that we find healing. If we want a life that is free from sin’s sickness, we must ask others to pray with us and for us. I know, in my own life, there are many times others have interceded for me and rescued me because I was unaware of how sick I was. When we pray for each other, we are uniting (two are better than one!) before our heavenly Father so that God will bless us with spiritual health and wholeness.
In Matthew 18:19 Jesus says, “. . . if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you . . .” This isn’t a way to beat the system. You can’t create a pact that you and another will pray to win the lottery and BAM! You’ve won! The context of the passage is dealing with lost people and restoring someone who has stepped away from following Jesus. Jesus is reminding us that He wants us to be successful in living with Him and for Him. When we share a need with someone and she prays with us to overcome a temptation, or to step boldly out in faith, or to love more compassionately or whatever our spiritual life needs, God shows up — guaranteed.
We are on this journey together; that’s the way God designed it. We need each other. We need to be humble enough to allow others to carry our burdens, even as we willingly carry theirs.
Will you please pray for me? How can I pray for you?
Photo by Rosie Fraser on Unsplash
