Topic: Praying For Others
Text: II Samuel 24:10-17

The greatest impact you can have on people around you is to determine what happens in their lives through prayer. Prayer can be likened to a powerful dynamo. It is irresistible. Neighbours, friends, relatives, government leaders and those who even live outside your sphere of influence can be reached and influenced through the power of prayer. Prayer is a duty, which you cannot afford to neglect. I Timothy 2:1-2 says: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplication, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness, and honesty.” If you do not pray for God to take control of the lives of your leaders, they can make grievous mistakes and cause you much trouble. If you intercede fro them, you will be able to live a peaceable and quiet life. You must pray for your spiritual leaders, too. Many of us do not pray for our pastors. II Samuel 24:10-15 gives us the story of David when he decided to number the people of Israel. After this event, God rebuked him and gave him three alternatives to choose from. He chose pestilence and, in one day, seventy thousand people died. Out of these, not one died in David’s palace. If your leader fails, you pay a price. If you intercede for your pastor, he will perform. You must also intercede for your husband. Many women spend all the time telling the world how terrible their husbands are, yet never spare the time to pray fro such husbands. All he may need is I just pray to change him to a good husband. You must remember that your husband is the head of the family. If anything goes wrong with him he will not be the only one who will suffer. If you love your children, intercede for your husband. Men must intercede for their wives, too. The easiest way to destroy a man is through his wife. If anybody wants to poison a man all the person has to do is go through his wife. The Bible is full of examples of men who fell through their wives. A classical example is Samson, in Judges 16. If you know all the trouble Abraham has because he listened to his wife, you will intercede for your wife. As a man, if you boast of your spirituality but leave your wife behind, you are courting trouble. If a man falls, how far he goes before he stops falling will be determined by the spiritual height of his wife. We must all cultivate the habit of lifting up one another through prayer. The more you pray for those who are close to you, the more you will witness the fruit of your prayer. How many names do you have on your prayer lists?

Memory Verse: James 5:17 - “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”