Struggling to pray for others

Many of us have had the experience of being really moved and inspired to pray for someone else, but due to our troubled mind, the complexity of the person's situation, or lack of knowledge and insight, we have not known how or what to pray for the person. So we close our eyes and quieten our mind - but words will not come! Our praying stumbles and trips along and we feel our prayer is ineffective.

In Ephesians 1:17 - 19, the Apostle Paul gives us some guidelines for intercessory prayer and I have found them personally both helpful and strong when praying for others, especially when words fail me or I am struggling to genuinely intercede for them.

Paul encourages us to pray for:

• a spirit of wisdom and revelation that the person may know Him better.
• opening of the eyes of their heart to know God's hope in life, and the amazing spiritual inheritance available to Christians
• knowledge and experience of His incomparable great power

Now you may think that this is not very specific for a person who may be fighting depression, or battling cancer, or looking for employment, or in the midst of a fragile relationship and you would be right. But AS YOU PRAY THROUGH PAUL'S INTERCESSORY PRAYER ADVICE, your spirit is aroused, your tongue is loosened and deep intercessory prayer can be offered that is passionate and substantial. As you pray in the Spirit according to the scriptures in this passage, some spiritual mystery occurs which awakens the Holy Spirit in you.

And these prayers are powerful, passionate, and very effective.

If you have a prayer journal, or if you use a favourite Bible to pray from, why not print off the scripture passage mentioned above, and keep it near you for those times when words will not come.