Things we Must Pray For (James 5:16)

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by

Robert Piña
in

Introduction: To pray is to communicate and converse with God. Part of prayer is to intercede for others, that is to mediate to God on behalf of someone else. To plead in favor of a person that has a need or request. It is supplication for benefits either for self, that is petition, or for others, that is intercession. 

As Christians, we should Pray for: 

  1. The Nation of Israel– Psalm 122:6- God has not replaced the Israel with the church. God has temporarily set aside the Nation of Israel because they rejected their Messiah. Right now God is putting together a body of believers, the church which is composed of Jews and Gentiles. Once God is done with this body of believers, He will again resume his purpose with Israel and will fulfill the covenants and promises. Wars and rumors of wars
    • Pray because of Wars- Right now in the news you are hearing that if Iran is attacked by the U.S., Hezbollah will attack Israel. You are hearing of the U.S. ready to attack Iran in the next 10 days. 
    • Pray because of God’s Blessing- Genesis 12:1-3 God will bless the nations that bless Israel. The U.S. must stand and pray from Israel so that our country will continue to be blessed by God. 
  1. Our Enemies– Matthew 5:44 There are four kinds of people mentioned here in this passage that are our enemies. And we are to pray for them. 
  • Curse You – People will speak bad, humiliate, laugh at, etc. 
  • Hate You- They will hate you for what you stand for and for what you stand against. 
  • Despitefully Use You- They take advantage of you because they know what you stand for. 
  • Persecute You- They hate you so much they may even kill you because of your faith. 
  • Proverbs 25:21-22 “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee”. 
  • Luke 23:34 “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do”. Jesus prayed for the same people that were cursing at him and fixing to crucify him. 
  1. For Our Needs– Matthew 6:11 here we see a model prayer that Jesus Christ is teaching his disciples. God will give us our basic necessities however, we still need to pray for the things we have need of. James 4:2 “yet ye have not, because ye ask not”. God know what we need however, he wants to hear it from us. 
  1. For other Christians– Ephesians 6:18 there are other Christians all over the world not just in the United States. Their families, their needs, their ministries, their churches, their pastors. 
  1. For Preachers– Ephesians 6:20 This includes pastors, preachers, evangelist, and missionaries. 
  • There is one thing missing today in preaching, that is boldness. A man who preaches the Bible without apology. One who speaks as the Oracles of God. 
  • Preach against popular/modern things. Things that are wrong. Things that go against the Bible. Freedom of speech. 
  1. All Men– I Timothy 2:1 lost or saved, friends, co-workers, relatives, military, etc. 
  • Supplication- for a supply of something needed. 
  • Prayers- a list of things asked for. 
  • Intercessions- prayers on behalf of someone who hasn’t had their prayer answered. 
  • Giving of Thanks- always giving thanks to God for everything. 
  1. Those in Authority– I Timothy 2:2 Pray for the Sheriff, Chief of Police, Council men, Mayor, Governor, State Representatives/law makers, Senators, President. Don’t hate or curse them. 
  • To lead a quiet and peaceable life- an undisturbed life, free of turmoil or persecution. Without strife or contention. 
  • In godliness and honesty- a true devotion to God. And honorable behavior. 
  • A good government benefits everyone and it facilitates the spreading of the gospel. To live a live of godliness without fear of the government. 
  1. For the Lost to be Saved– I Timothy 2:3-4 God will and desire for all of mankind is to be saved. God still gives all men a freewill to choose him or reject him. We all know people that are lost and need to be saved. Start praying for when we go out door knocking. 
  1. The Pastor– I Timothy 3:1-7 People want to be critical and rebellious against the Pastor because of his position of authority. Pray for the pastor to make decisions that please God and are in line with this Bible. To lead the church in the right direction not in the ways of the World. Vs 1 to stay strong in the Work, strength. Vs 2 to stay blameless and a good behaviour. Vs 3 To not be motivated by greed or covetous. Vs 4 to be able to rule his house/ to guard his wife and children from the wiles of the devil. Vs 5 to not be lifted up with pride. Vs 7 that he doesn’t fall in reproach and the snare of the devil. Hebrews 13:17 “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account..” 
  1. For Those Who are Sick- James 5:14-16 
  • It’s the prayer that heals not the oil and that sometimes it is not God’s will to heal II Corinthians 12:7-10 
  • Effectual- specific prayer. Fervent- It means something to me. Righteous man- one who is conformed to Jesus Christ. 

Conclusion: this is a great list to have and to carry with you as you prayer for different things. As you pray for many other things, don’t forget about this list here.