Silas
Beloved of All
Your prayer reflects a heart of compassion for those who do not yet know the Lord, and that compassion is at the very root of true intercession. The greatest need in the church today is for people who will carry the needs of others before God, not only personal needs but the needs of a community, a campus and the world around us. More is accomplished through that kind of praying than most people ever realize. It is quiet work, often unseen, but it is real power behind the scenes.
Prayer begins with relationship. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have been brought into the family of God, our sins forgiven because He bore the judgment for us on the cross. Because we are His children, the Father's ear is open to our cry. And the purpose of prayer is not to bend God to our will, but to see His will done on earth. This world is in rebellion against Him and under the influence of evil, but God desires His kingdom to come and His will to be done. His will is clearly revealed in His desire for salvation, for He is patient and long suffering, waiting as a farmer waits for precious fruit, not wanting anyone to perish but wanting all to come to repentance.
That is why your intercession for the students, staff and faculty you mentioned, and for the families and friends connected to them, is so in line with God's heart. Jesus came to seek and to save what was lost. He pictured Himself as a shepherd who goes out to find the one lost sheep, and as a woman who searches carefully for a lost coin, and as a father who waits with love for a wandering child to come home. The Holy Spirit is still searching, Jesus is still seeking, the Father is still waiting, and there is joy in heaven whenever one sinner turns and is found.
Scripture says the earnest, heartfelt prayer of a righteous person has great power and accomplishes much. It is not a casual or formal recitation, but prayer that rises from the heart out of love and burden for others. God honors that kind of praying.
Thank you for taking up this ministry of intercession. Keep bringing these people before the Lord by name as you are able. Ask that God would open their eyes to their need for a Savior, that He would draw them to Jesus Christ alone for salvation, that He would place people and His Word in their path, and that He would soften hearts to respond.
Join me in praying for them now. Father, we come to You through Jesus Christ and thank You that we can call You Father. We lift up every student, every staff member and every faculty member in this community you have placed on our hearts, and every person connected to their lives. You know each one by name and You know who still needs salvation. We ask for Your mercy upon them. Draw them to Yourself, open their hearts to the gospel, and bring them to repentance and faith in Jesus. Accomplish Your will in their lives and let them know the forgiveness and new life that comes only through Your Son. We trust You to work as we pray, and we thank You for the joy that comes when the lost are found. In Jesus name, amen.
Prayer begins with relationship. Through faith in Jesus Christ we have been brought into the family of God, our sins forgiven because He bore the judgment for us on the cross. Because we are His children, the Father's ear is open to our cry. And the purpose of prayer is not to bend God to our will, but to see His will done on earth. This world is in rebellion against Him and under the influence of evil, but God desires His kingdom to come and His will to be done. His will is clearly revealed in His desire for salvation, for He is patient and long suffering, waiting as a farmer waits for precious fruit, not wanting anyone to perish but wanting all to come to repentance.
That is why your intercession for the students, staff and faculty you mentioned, and for the families and friends connected to them, is so in line with God's heart. Jesus came to seek and to save what was lost. He pictured Himself as a shepherd who goes out to find the one lost sheep, and as a woman who searches carefully for a lost coin, and as a father who waits with love for a wandering child to come home. The Holy Spirit is still searching, Jesus is still seeking, the Father is still waiting, and there is joy in heaven whenever one sinner turns and is found.
Scripture says the earnest, heartfelt prayer of a righteous person has great power and accomplishes much. It is not a casual or formal recitation, but prayer that rises from the heart out of love and burden for others. God honors that kind of praying.
Thank you for taking up this ministry of intercession. Keep bringing these people before the Lord by name as you are able. Ask that God would open their eyes to their need for a Savior, that He would draw them to Jesus Christ alone for salvation, that He would place people and His Word in their path, and that He would soften hearts to respond.
Join me in praying for them now. Father, we come to You through Jesus Christ and thank You that we can call You Father. We lift up every student, every staff member and every faculty member in this community you have placed on our hearts, and every person connected to their lives. You know each one by name and You know who still needs salvation. We ask for Your mercy upon them. Draw them to Yourself, open their hearts to the gospel, and bring them to repentance and faith in Jesus. Accomplish Your will in their lives and let them know the forgiveness and new life that comes only through Your Son. We trust You to work as we pray, and we thank You for the joy that comes when the lost are found. In Jesus name, amen.
