Praying for Others

Praying for Others

"Praying For Others"

1 Timothy 1:17-20; 2:1-6

INTRO.Has anyone ever asked you to pray for them? Most likely each one here has been asked to pray for someone at onetime or another. We should COUNT IT A PRIVILEGE and A HONOR when someone asks us to pray for them! Never take their request lightly.

Samuel, the prophet in 1 Samuel 7:5 tells the people of Israel, "I will pray for you unto the LORD." We see, later in 1 Samuel 12:19, after the people of Israel had grievously sinned against the LORD, this request, "Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not…" And in v23 of the same chapter, we see Samuel's answer, "GOD FORBID that I should SIN AGAINST THE LORD in CEASING TO PRAY FOR YOU..."

So, according to God's WORD, it is a sin to fail to PRAY FOR OTHERS! I want to title the message tonight, "Praying For Others." I've shared this poem with you before, but I'd like to share it with you again, because it fits in so well with the message tonight.

BECAUSE YOU PRAYED, God touched our weary bodies with HIS POWER, and gave us STRENGTH for many a trying hour in which we might have faltered had not you, our intercessors, been faithful and true. Because You Prayed, God touched our eager fingers with HIS SKILL, enabling us to do HIS BLESSED WILL, with scalpel, suture, bandage--better still HE HEALED the sick, the wounded, cured the ill. BECAUSE YOU PRAYED, GOD TOUCHED our lips with coals from the altar fire, GAVE SPIRIT FULNESS, and did so inspire that when we spoke, sin-blinded souls did see, sin's chains were broken-captives were made free. BECAUSE YOU PRAYED, the "Dwellers in the dark" have found the LIGHT. The Glad, Good News has banished heathen night. The message of THE CROSS so long delayed has brought them life at last, BECAUSE YOU PRAYED!

OH, HOW IMPORTANT it is to pray!! Let's look together tonight at the

specifics of "praying for others."

PRAYING FOR OTHERS:

(1) Why?

A. Because God Commands It

Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-3

Ephesians 6:18-19

B. Because Failure To Pray Is A Sin

1 Samuel 12:23

James 4:17

(2) Who?

Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-2

  1. For All Men (v.1).
  2. For Those In Authority (v.2).
  3. For The Body of Christ (Ephesians 6:18).
  4. For Our Missionaries & Pastors (Ephesians 6:19).
  5. For Laborers (Matthew 9:37-38).
  6. For The Lost (1 Timothy 2:1, 3-6--the reason).
  7. For Our Enemies (Matthew 5:44; 1 Timothy 2:lb).

(3) How?

A. With A Heart Of Compassion

Exodus 32:30-32--Moses willing to give His live for the people

B. With A Recognition Of God's Inexhaustible Resources And A

Realization of People's Needs

Ezekiel 22:23-31

Genesis 18:14—“Is ANYTHING TOO HARD For the LORD?”

C. With An Identification With Others Needs. Spiritually and

emotionally we must feel what they feel. Jesus is our example

(Matthew 9:36;Hebrews 4:14-16).

D. With A Desire For The Best For Others. This desire should be two-

fold:

  1. For the Lost--Romans 10:1
  2. For the Saved--Ephesians 3:13-21

E. With Being Part Of The Answer, If Necessary.

Isaiah 6:8—“Here Am I, SEND ME!"

F. With Persevering In Prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:17I

Colossians4:2

Ephesians 6:18

CLOSING: J. Sidlow Baxter, was quoted as saying, "Men may spurn our

appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our

persons--But they are helpless against our prayers." The

GREATEST GIFT you can give someone is your prayer for them!

WILL YOU PRAY? Pray for the lost, the saved, the needy, the

weary--JUST PRAY FOR ALL MEN!

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