0429 HOW TO OPEN A PRAYER

HOW TO BEGIN A PRAYER FOR SOMEONE ELSE

“Heavenly Father, please bless and heal this person. May the eyes of their heart be enlightened to see you in everything, and may they know the peace of Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

What’s missing from a prayer such as this one? Hint: It is not what is being requested of the Father for that person. It’s how the prayer starts.

Some years ago, I wanted to learn how to pray for other people. I felt that I repeated myself with phrases that ended up sort of being my heavenly online order. “I want one of these and some of that for my friend.” So I decided to examine how Paul structured his prayers, as found in most of his letters. As I looked at all those prayers, one thing jumped out at me and has affected my prayers ever since.

I won’t tell you what I noticed. Instead, I’ll just copy the opening of several of Paul’s prayers. 

Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

1 Corinthians 1:4 “I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 1:16 “I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,”

Philippians 1:3 “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.”

Colossians 1:3 “We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 1:2 “We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.”

2 Thessalonians 1:3 “Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.”

2 Timothy 1:3 “Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.”

Philemon 4 “I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon,”

That’s right: every prayer has the words “you” and “I” and “God.” But there’s something else that you probably noticed as I had.

Especially if the person/people is a believer, it is probably best practice to start with thanking God for his work in that person’s life, as well as to thank God for that person themself. “Thank you for that person.” “Thank you that this person has faith in you and is your child. Thank you for rescuing them from darkness and bringing them into your kingdom of light. Thank you for the ways that this person has blessed my life, and that you have allowed our paths to cross.”

So, in summary: Thank God for the person, usually including something specific for which you are especially grateful. See what that might do for your prayers. Amen.