Make Praying A Business of Praying

THERE are many requests of Paul for prayer for himself in the Holy Bible. Paul prayed much himself, and tried hard to stir up Christians to the crucial importance of the work of prayer. He deeply felt the need of prayer so much that he was in the habit of personal praying. Realizing this for himself, he pressed this priceless duty on others. Intercessory prayer, or the praying for others, had a high place in his estimate of prayer. It is no surprise that we find him throwing himself on the prayers of the churches to whom he wrote.

With all their devotion to Jesus Christ, in all their interest to the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth, by all the love of their personal attachment to Jesus, he commands them to pray greatly, to pray continuously, to pray at all times, to pray in all things, and to make praying a business of praying. And then realizing his own dependence on prayer for his difficult duties, his painful trials and his heavy responsibilities, he urges those to whom he wrote to pray especially for him.

Here we have the head of the Apostles needing prayer. He needed the prayers of others, and for this he always is asking for their prayers. His calling to the apostleship did not lift him above this need. He realized and acknowledged his great dependence on prayer. He craved and prized the prayers of all good people. He was not ashamed to solicit prayers for himself or to urge the Christians everywhere to pray for him, in his time of need.

In writing to the Hebrews, he bases his request for prayer on two reasons, his honesty and his wish to visit them. If he were insincere, he could lay no claim to their prayers. By praying for him, this would be a powerful agent in aiding his visit to them. They would touch the secret place of the wind and the waves, and arrange all secondary agencies and make them minister to this end. Praying puts God in swiftness to do for us the things that we wish at His hands.

We are to judge the value of something by the frequency it is asking for, and by the special and urgent plea made about it. If that be true, then with Paul the prayers of the saints were among his greatest assets, because Paul’s frequent request of his brethren was that they would “pray for him.” This request was repeated over and over, “Pray for me,” Paul showed conclusively the great value he put on prayer as a means for receiving grace. Paul had no need so pressing as the need for prayer. There are no values as appreciated and appreciable as the prayers of the faithful.

Paul put the great factor of prayer as the great factor in his work. The most powerful and far-reaching energy in Paul’s estimate is prayer. He covets it and saved it as he seeks the prayers of God’s people. The earnestness of his soul goes out in these requests. Hear him in this statement for prayer he is writing to the Romans:

“I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers for me.”

Prayers by others for Paul were valuable because they helped him. Great helpers are people that pray for others. Nothing gives so much aid to us in our needs as real prayers. They supply our needs and deliver us from difficult situations. Paul’s faith, so he writes to the Corinthians, had been greatly tried, and he had been greatly helped and strengthened by God’s deliverance. “Ye also are helping by prayer.” What marvelous things has God done for His favored saints through the prayers of others! The saints can help the saints more by fervent praying than in any other way.

Are you praying for others? Do you ask others to pray for you?

Praying puts God in action to do for us the things that we desire at His hands.