Do You Pray for Yourself the Same Way You Pray for Other People?

How do you normally pray for others and how were you taught to pray for others?

Many of us grew up saying the Lord’s prayer, which is a great reference for thanking the Lord, asking for his forgiveness, acknowledging who he is, his attributes, his power, and then asking him for what you need. This is a solid example for a couple of reasons:

• + Number one, because we should give thanks in all circumstances and our thanks to God acknowledges what he’s done for us and keeps us in remembrance of him.

• + Number two, when we acknowledge who God is, we are reminding ourselves of what God is capable of, and scripture tells us that everything is possible to him who believes, and there is nothing too hard for God.

Keeping these points in mind, our faith is built up to ask for what we need and to ask for what seems impossible. And it magnifies the God that we serve instead of the situation at hand. Also, something that I’ve recently come to realize is that being thankful also not only shifts your perspective, but it protects you.

It protects you from believing the lies of the enemy. It protects you from assuming that what you see is the only truth or real thing in front of you. It protects you from doubt and it protects you from falling into a cycle of complaining or being simply ungrateful. Because when we thank someone for something, there is truth behind our thanks, just like if you were to tell someone — “thank you for your help and your time in teaching me how to bake cakes.” You are acknowledging that this person, in fact, taught you something, and it required patience and time for them to do so. So you’re acknowledging the truth behind what you’re grateful for and the same concept applies to God. When you tell God thank you for keeping me in my right mind, you are acknowledging that God is a keeper, that God gives us peace, that God sustains us. You are acknowledging his truth, his word, who he is, how he operates, what he does, what he can do.

Nextly, forgiving others and asking for forgiveness is a critical point in prayer as well, because we need God to hear our prayers and for him to hear our prayers, we need forgiveness. We need forgiveness because it is in our human nature to sin, and when we ask God for forgiveness and repent — meaning turn away from the thing that we’re asking forgiveness for — God wipes our slate clean. And he tells us that in doing so we must also forgive others in the same manner. We are made in the likeness of Christ and should also operate and function as such. Once you have given thanks, asked for forgiveness, forgiven others, acknowledged who God is, and applied the critical points of prayer, now is a good place to ask God for what you need because he tells us to cast our cares on him that he cares for us, and that if we ask in his name he will do it for us in the name of Jesus.

Notice how we have broken down critical points of effective prayer, but also how these points are based on God’s word, meaning, we are literally using the word of God in our prayers and giving God’s word back to him. And an important item to note here is that God responds to his word.

He says that he honors his word over his name, that heaven and earth shall pass away, but God’s words shall remain. So the point that I am making here is God’s word is so important. It is vital in our prayers. It is vital in speaking truth and life over ourselves and other people. It is vital for meditating before we start our day or at the end of the night, it is vital for guiding our lives. It is vital for giving us instruction. It is vital for encouragement. It is literally health, healing, and life to our flesh. So the major point that I want to make here is that when you pray, pray God’s word, pray according to his truth, pray according to what he has said, what he has spoken.

This is the very essence of effective prayers, praying the word of God, praying the will of God — and how do you come to know the will of God? — by coming to know what his word says.

For instance, if you are praying for someone who is sad, and you want to pray according to God’s word, what would you pray? You would look up Bible verses related to sadness. For example, God tells us that he is close to the brokenhearted, that those who mourn will also rejoice that they shall be comforted, and that joy comes in the morning, weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning, that the pain we’ve experienced can’t compare to the joy that’s coming. These are examples of what God’s word says concerning sadness. So when you are praying for people or praying for someone who may be sad, for example, you would pray Lord, comfort this person because your word says that you are close to the broken hearted. Your words says that, though weeping may endure for a night, joy comes in the morning. Father, give them joy, though they have mourned, father, let them rejoice. Let them wear the garments of praise, let the oil of gladness be upon them. Literally take the word of God and insert the person that you’re praying for concerning that truth, concerning the word of God in your prayer.

Now that we’ve covered the basis of prayer and its effectiveness and how to pray according to God’s word, my question now is, do you pray for yourself the way that you pray for other people?

I ask this question because many times when we come to God, we pray prayers that are emotional or that lack the word of God — meaning, you might pray a prayer such as God, this person made me mad today. I’m upset about it. I don’t like what they did. It’s fine to tell God how you feel and what you’re experiencing, but be sure to incorporate his word in your prayer, now that you’ve told him what you’re experiencing and how you’re feeling use the word of God to declare life and truth over yourself and your situation and to ask for what you need. This is a reminder that prayer is intercession and intercession is to stand in the gap for someone or something concerning a situation. And while you can intercede for others, you can also intercede for yourself. You can pray for yourself, and in fact, you should. So keeping all of this in mind and considering how we now know to pray for other people using God’s truth, based on the example of sadness mentioned above, how would you pray for yourself using the word of God?

Let’s say that you want to build yourself up and speak God’s truth over your own life. An example of what this may look like, “Lord, your word says that you have plans to prosper me to give me hope and a future, that I shall be blessed coming in and going out, that surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, that you never forsake the righteous, that though the afflictions of the righteous are many, you deliver us from them all.” These are examples of declaring life over your situation, speaking truth and the will of God over yourself and the way your life currently looks, because the word of God is living and alive — and creation, the earth responds to the word of the Lord. And a great illustration of this point is the example where God was creating the earth. He said “let there be light, and there was light.” He said, let there be and there was. The environment responded to God’s word because God’s word has authority. It is the final say so. It has power. It is living and it is alive. That’s why the word of God tells us that we shall have what we speak. And how we have authority to call those things that are not as though they were. Now it is God who makes things happen, who causes them to manifest and come to life, but he’s given us the power and authority to speak over our lives over our life, so keeping in mind all that we’ve learned today, be sure that not only when you pray for others, you pray for yourself, but make sure that when you pray at all, you are praying according to the word of God.

And if you have been speaking negative things over your life such as I’m tired, I’m sick of this. et cetera, et cetera. I decree every word that is not based on God’s truth, His word, and that does not align with what He says concerning you falls to the ground and that every ill word turns into a blessing concerning you because the word of God tells us that He causes everything to work for the good of those that love Him. And I decree that the word of God meets you now, that God fills you up with a thirst and a hunger to know his word and his truth. And that if you are not yet saved, He gives you a heart to come into relationship with Jesus Christ and accept Him as your savior. And that you would learn how to use his word and godly authority to speak truth over your life, to build yourself up, to guide you, to intercede for others, and to be healed because his word is health, healing, and life to our flesh. In the name of Jesus, I pray Amen.

Until next time,

Be blessed! ♥️

If you’re seeking true refreshment in this season of life, my latest book, Seasons: Embracing God’s Faithfulness and Navigating Grace, is just what you need. It will renew your perspective, uplift your spirit, and strengthen you through His grace. Get your copy today and experience impactful refreshment!

🔗 https://vitalimpact.systeme.io/