I’m Praying For You

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men…” 1 Timothy 2:1

One Sunday morning before church, an older woman of faith stopped by my chair and asked me how I was doing. As I had just come through a difficult health ordeal, I said to her, “Just pray for me.”

She smiled and said sincerely, “I pray for you every single day,” then walked off with her husband to find her seat.

I could not stop thinking about someone praying for me every single day. I think our hearts are “toward” some people daily, but we may not actually pray for them daily. Other than my own children and grandchildren, I can honestly say that I don’t pray for anyone every single day (and I even slip up on praying for the kids and grands at times.)

This was the last time I saw this dear woman. She died very shortly after that of an unexpected health issue that the doctors had not found. By the Lord’s design, she left me this legacy of daily prayer.

I joked to a few friends, “NOW who will pray for me every day?” I count on my friends and family to pray for me when I ask them, but what about when I don’t ask? Who will pray for God to bless me, to keep me in His hands, to lead and guide me in life? Who will pray for me to be strong in the Lord, to live righteously, to build myself up on my most holy faith, to flee temptation and resist the devil? Who will pray for me to love purely, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be wise, good, understanding, compassionate, a hard worker, and everything else that pleases God?

Of course, I pray these (and many more) prayers for myself. But I began to think of people who, as far as I know, do not have anyone in their life to pray for them. There are many—too, too many—but I can choose someone to pray for that may be drifting and have no one else to anchor them.

I ended up choosing the adult children of another friend who died a few months ago. She held that family together in every possible way, and had prayed fervently for them. When she died, the prayers of a godly woman were no longer offered up before the Lord. As far as I know, they have no one else. So I will continue the prayers in place of my friend’s prayers for her wayward children.

You may already be praying for someone who probably has no one else to pray for them. But if you don’t, I challenge you to pray for a name or face to come to you so you can offer your prayers for this person.

Jesus, thank You for this opportunity. Help us be faithful in prayer for these You bring to our minds. We trust that even if we don’t know them well, Your Holy Spirit will bring to mind what the needs are. Amen.