Day 3: 31 Days in Prayer

Day 3: 31 Days in Prayer.

Verse:

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you. And I always remember you in my prayers, asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know Him truly. And that He may enlighten the eyes of your heart, so that you may understand what hope is contained in His calling: how rich is the glory of the portion He has appointed for the saints, and how exceedingly great His power is for us who believe, according to His mighty strength (Ef 1:15-19 - TB)

Reflection:

There are many things we can learn from this passage. Paul had been praying for the church in Ephesus ever since he heard about their faith. What person or group have you been praying for consistently? Do you know about the faith of the people who are close to you in your life? For me, praying for others is also a calling to know people more closely. Can I pray for someone I know nothing about? Of course I can. And we should do it. But how much more specifically can I pray for someone who has needs and to whom I am giving my attention? This kind of prayer requires us to know that person's faith and to have faith that our prayers can strengthen them. Paul always asked God to give the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to the congregation in Ephesus. The consistency of our prayers for others can help shape them to become more like Christ and in how they grow in the power of the Spirit. Paul prayed that God would "enlighten the eyes of your heart." This is a well-known prayer. We can pray that others would know God's hope. We can pray this for Christians and for those who do not yet believe. We must be confident that our prayers can change our own hearts and the hearts of others.

Challenge: Today, choose five people you will contact to pray for their specific needs. Tell them that you want to begin praying for them, but you are not sure what prayers they may need. Invite them to share their hearts with you, and ask that they would be open. You may decide to ask five people who are close to you, or five people you do not know well. They may be Christians or perhaps someone who does not yet believe in the Lord. You may send them a message or call them. Your prayers are very powerful, and often someone is lifted beyond what our natural eyes can see when they are told that someone is praying for them. Let this challenge continue to shape your prayer life and also provide an opportunity to form newer and deeper relationships between you and the people you decide to pray for. Perhaps this challenge will become the first step toward someone close to you giving his or her life to the Lord. We never know what the Lord may choose to do through our prayers.

Translated from the article “31 Days of Prayer: Day 3” by Daniel Berk