Studies on Prayer: Vol. 3Näide

Prayer that Benefits Others

In his famous devotional, My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers wrote, “Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.” Often, when we bow our heads to pray for others, we believe we are praying solely for the sake of another. Our prayers for others are often a means of changing ourselves, or our plans, so that we will rightly minister to others. Jesus set that example just before he entered Jerusalem for the final week of His earthly ministry. The events in John 11 were the final straw with the Jewish leaders. When Jesus prayed, he set the timing of his death. The words of his prayer would be spoken to benefit others.

1. Read Ephesians 6:18–20. What does this passage teach about prayer that benefits others?

"Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers." —J. Sidlow Baxter