Together in Christ: 'Releasing Love and Blessing Through Prayer' — 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

I recently sent a dear brother in Christ a short email with one of the apostle Paul's prayers as my prayer for him. He replied, "Phil, I love that you want to share prayers with people that are more than your words. I think we ought to write a book entitled, 'More than My Words' to help acquaint people with all of the prayers in the New Testament we can use to bless each other!"

"I'll pray for you!" is an often-repeated phrase that pastors, preachers, and church-goers say in response to people sharing their problems with them. Promising to pray for people is a good thing. I'm not quarreling with that. However, after I caught myself repeating the phrase, "I'll pray for you," to numerous people, I began to wonder. Was this becoming a trite, throwaway phrase I used to try to make others feel better? I do believe it was well-intentioned, but was it true?

• Where was my notepad or smart phone to note this person's name and prayer request? Would I remember each request during my prayer time without writing anything down?
• Why not pray for them then, at that moment and in that place, honoring their request immediately so they could know and hear my prayer, assured that their request was honored?
• If I prayed for them later, would I let them know both that I had prayed for them and also what I had prayed for them? After all, the apostle Paul didn't just pray for people and churches; he also told them what he prayed for them and sometimes why he prayed it!

Several times in our devotional thoughts about building healthy relationships, we will return to biblical prayers, especially from the apostle Paul. When we share these biblical prayers with others, we can be sure that these prayers are "more than just our words." They have lasting power. God's people have effectively prayed for others for nearly two thousand years using these words from biblical prayers. As we pray these prayers, we hear the language of spiritual relationships expressed, and people with healthy friendships pray for each other. They are a reservoir of faith, strength, hope, and godliness. So, let's not just read these prayers as parts of Paul's letters; let's also have them be more than our words shared with those we love and want to see led closer to Jesus!