I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
The Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we pray (
Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit pours love into our hearts to give us hope and endurance (
Romans 5:5;
Colossians 1:9-11). So it shouldn't surprise us that the love we have from the Holy Spirit moves us to pray for others in their struggles. Praying for others, what is sometimes called intercessory prayer, is a great gift empowered by the love that comes from the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives.
In today's verse, Paul wanted this Spirit-led and love-driven prayer to focus on his desire to proclaim Jesus, something we've focused on for several days. However, this Spirit-led and love-driven kind of prayer can be offered
for anything that another brother or sister in Christ needs. Let's remember that the love we feel for others and the intercession we are given by the presence of the Spirit are there as gifts to equip us to pray for others!
Today, Father, I want to pray for a number of folks on my heart who face struggles of all kinds. Some are family members... some are friends... some are faithful servants of your kingdom doing your work in hard places... some are grieving... some face tough times... some are making hard decisions... some have family struggles... some have great opportunities they don't want to miss... some are overcoming addictions... and there are many others. Please hear my prayer for them today. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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