“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”—James 1:22 (ESV)
“Suppose a brother or sister has no clothes or food. Suppose one of you says to them, ‘Go. I hope everything turns out fine for you. Keep warm. Eat well.’ And you do nothing about what they really need. Then what good have you done?”—James 2:15–16 (NIRV)
“But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting, and I prayed with head bowed on my breast. I behaved as if grieving for my friend or my brother; I bowed down in sorrow, as one who bewails his mother.”—Psalm 35:13–14 (AMP)
Discipleship Practice:
Turn Your Prayer List into a Needs List
Objectives: To help us become more aware of the needs of others and to focus on meeting those needs.
Too often, when we put people on our “prayer list,” we limit ourselves only to praying for them. If we turn our prayer list into a “needs list,” we may be more likely to get involved in meeting the needs in people’s lives.
- Make it your goal not to put anyone on your prayer list unless you are willing to personally get involved in helping to meet that person’s needs, when it is possible and appropriate.
- When you agree to put someone on your prayer list, consider it a personal commitment to walk with that person through that situation until the prayer is answered. This may not always be possible or practical, but if we have this as our goal, we will be much closer to “bearing one another’s burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
- When we are willing to get involved in helping to meet the needs of those we pray for, we will begin to develop genuine love for them as a result:
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”—Luke 12:34 (AMP)
Discipleship Practice:
Include Others in Your Prayers for Yourself
Objectives: To help us develop hearts of servants, expressing genuine love for others by praying for their needs as if they were our own.
As you pray for yourself, asking God to bless you in different ways, think of other people in your life who could benefit from the same blessings. Pray that God would bless them in the same ways that you are asking God to bless you. Include them in your prayers when you are praying for yourself.
(Praying for God to bless your enemies can be a great way to help you conquer any bitterness toward them!)
For example, to do this using the Lord’s Prayer, you might pray something like this:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. For myself, my family and especially for Eric and Stacy, who have really been struggling lately, give us this day our daily bread…”
“Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”—Philippians 2:4 (NASB)
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”—Mark 12:31 (AMP)
“And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.”—Job 42:10 (NKJV)
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”—James 5:16 (ESV)
