Tuesday's Task-Specific Prayers

I know we've discussed the importance of prayer on this blog before but today I want us to think about what we should pray for when we talk to God. Prayer is such an awesome and incredible privilege that we, who are in Christ, have in our lives. We can approach the throne of the living God and talk to Him! And we have the promise that He will listen if we are His children. James 5:16b states that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." God listens. He doesn't always answer in the way that we want but He does listen and will do what is best for us.  For our task today, I want us to think about praying specifically for certain things.

1. Pray for the word of God. In II Thessalonians 3:1-3, the apostle Paul asks the Thessalonians to pray for a specific outcome. He says, "Finally brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith." We should pray that the word of God is always glorified in our local congregations and everywhere it is preached. 
2. Pray for people who are zealous in the error of false teachers.  In Romans 10:1-3, Paul says he specifically prays for the Jews to be saved. They had a "zeal for God" but were ignorant of the truth. There are good, decent people who are lost because they believe false teachers and not the whole gospel truth. We should pray earnestly for them to hear the word of God and obey His will. 
3. Pray for each other. In the first half of James 5:16, James says we are to "confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." Also in Philippians 1:3-4, Paul mentions that he keeps the people at Philippi in his prayers always. We are to pray for our brethren here and abroad. 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of things we should specifically pray for but hopefully it will give you a start in your own study of prayer. There is such power in prayer and we should learn now not to take it for granted and to utilize it the best we can!

-C