Would you please keep them in your prayers?

Would you please keep them in your prayers?

I have been asked that question more than usual this last week. Enough that it’s made me stop and think about that phrase. Generally, if an individual asks for prayer for themselves if at all possible I would try to do it with them right there. But lately, and I’d say for the most part when someone asks for prayer it’s for someone else, which is a great thing. This means that they truly want a situation resolved for that person. This week I have asked myself a few questions about this phrase, the first being why me? Why would they ask me to keep someone in my prayers? I struggle enough in my prayer life. But on further reflection I will not let the person down so I will indeed pray for their concern, I guess practice makes perfect so indirectly they are helping me. The next question I ask myself is; the person who is asking, what are their expectations? Well of course they expect you to do what you say you will but I think it’s more than that. They truly want the struggle or situation for that person to go away. One way I think that a person especially myself could exceed their expectations is to pray with them right there if possible. I don’t do a great job of this when someone asks for prayer for someone else. But it’s something I will try and do a better job of in the future. I will admit that sometimes, not always depending on who’s asking I do ask myself how much does the person asking pray themselves? I know that’s bad but it happens.

Has I have thought about this, this week I was truly humbled because Jesus gets asked billions of questions in prayer a day and he hears them all. Then I ask questions about something simple as a handful of prayer requests. Then out of the billions and billions of prayer requests made to Jesus every day He has the wisdom to say either yes, no, or later depending on His perfect will.

I will say that when asked to pray for someone I will do it as soon as possible and in most situations the actual reason the request made for it takes me awhile to get to it. I will generally pray first that God’s will be done and whatever the situation that God will be glorified and that those of us here on earth would be able to see that. I then pray that this situation will be used to draw someone to Christ all before getting to the specific request.

 James 5:13-16

¹³ Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. ¹⁴ Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.¹⁶ Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.