They’re the One: Intercessory Prayer
To the saints who are in the JPM partnership, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
This is how Paul greeted the Church of Ephesus in his letter to the Ephesians. He greeted them as saints, faithful to the Lord. He prayed grace and peace from God for them. We pray the same for you!
This week we continue in our pursuit to pray well, pray often and pray for each other. If you’ve never heard the term “intercessory prayer”, it just means to pray or petition God on behalf of another person. In the book of Ephesians, Paul is petitioning God on behalf of the Church of Ephesus. Paul’s heart was heavy for the health of this church.
As we break down Paul’s letter, we see more specifically what we can pray for when we intercede for our family, our spouse, our kids, the "one", even our enemies.
Paul's example shows us we can pray for others to have:
Divine Sight (Ephesians 1:15-23, Ephesians 1-2)
Pray that others would know God.
For them to have a Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17).
For their hearts to be enlightened; that they may know the hope to which He has called them (Ephesians 1:18).
Pray for the immeasurable greatness of God's power toward those who believe (Ephesians 1:19).
Divine Unity (Ephesians 2)
Pray that we and other believers be unified as one body.
Pray for peace amongst all believers(Ephesians 2:14, Romans 12:18).
Redemption is the strongest connection we have to each other. It is our redemption in Christ Jesus(not our uniformity) that unifies us (Ephesians 2:11-22).
Pray against/rebuke to death the division and hostility between believers (Ephesians 2:16).
Pray for others pursuit in carrying out the Great Commission to allnations (Matthew 28:19).
From this chapter we can draw that: intercession is not selective. It is our own divisiveness that prevents intercession. This prompts the question: who do you need to let God break your heart for?
Divine Strength (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Pray that others be strengthened.
Pray that the power of the Holy Spirit strengthen others. Not just a one time event, but a constantly flowing, according to the riches of His glory (Ephesians 3:16).
Pray that others be filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).
Pray the exceedingly abundant power of God at work for others (Ephesians 3:20).
Supernatural love (Ephesians 5)
Pray for others to be grounded in God’s love.
To be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1).
To walk in love, as Christ loved us: a sacrificial love (Ephesians 5:2).
Pray that others not fall prey to the temptations listed in these verses: Ephesians 5:3-13. Pray against any partnership with 'sons of disobedience' (Ephesians 5:6-7)
Instead, pray that they awake, arise, and be filled with the Spirit, giving thanks always (Ephesians 5:14-21).
From this chapter, we can draw that being grounded in God’s love allows us to grow in God's love. God’s love is our source of stability. Ask yourself: "am I grounded in the love of God or the love of myself?"
This chapter also shows us that we need others and others need us.
If praying for others seems too taxing or burdensome, then ask the Lord to help you desire it. It's OK to acknowledge to God that you need His help to want to pray for others or that you need His help to even want Him. We need God's help for literally everything. Tell Him what you need (Philippians 4:6).
Lord, You are our Peace, our Provider; You are here. God, thank you for these fellow believers and JPM partners. We pray that you give them eyes to see the hope they have in You! We pray for peace amongst this body of Christ and their pursuit of Your children. We pray that your Holy Spirit strengthen them according to your rich glory and not by their own strength. Lord, we pray that above all they walk in love, just as your Son loves and intercedes for us.
We pray this message fills you with hope and peace going into Holy Week. We also pray that it helps prepare your hearts for the official launch of JPM's They're the One Prayer Project happening this Sunday, March 31st! You will receive an email on Sunday sharing the opportunity to sign up to pray for one of the children in the JPM network.
Grace and Peace be with you always,
Joey & Cathy
