What Should We Pray For???

Posted by on Mar 29, 2017 in Bible Study, GroupPresentations | 0 comments

We hear a lot about prayer.  Prayer is a big part of developing a relationship with God…  it’s a huge part of being a Christian.

But what do we pray for?  Can we “bother” God with trivial requests like asking for a good parking spot?  What about praying for someone’s  health; maybe it’s God’s will that this person not get well.  Should we pray anyway?  Can we pray for ourselves?  What can we pray for???

Some of these are difficult questions, and we could go on and on with theories about what we should and shouldn’t pray for.

We may never find ALL of the answers, but certainly the best place to start is the Bible.  During a recent Tuesday Morning Bible Study, we looked at this question by looking into what the Bible says about prayer. 

If you do a search on “pray” or “prayer” in your Bible software, you’ll find a lot of “hits.”  The Bible has much to say about the subject of prayer.

Below are 30 verses that give us an idea of the kind of things we should pray for.  Click the tabs and get a sense for what the Bible says about the things we should pray for…

1Tim. 5:5   The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.
Eph. 6:19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
3 John 2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
1 John 5:16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.
James 5:15-16 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Heb. 13:18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.
2 Thess. 3:1 Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.
Col. 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
Col. 1:10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
Col. 4:3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
Col. 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
Eph. 1:18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
Eph. 3:16-19 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
2 Cor. 13:7 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.
Rom. 15:31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there,
2 Cor. 13:9 We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection.
Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
John 17:15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
John 17:20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,
Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Isa. 56:7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Rom. 1:10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
Luke 22:40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.
Luke 21:36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.
Luke 6:28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Mark 14:38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
Matt. 19:13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
Matt. 5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Jer. 42:2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the LORD your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. 3 Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.
Isa. 37:4 It may be that the LORD your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.

 

What Does it  Say to You?

Did you read the above verses?  Try the following quiz to see what you remember about the things we should pray for…

 

 

We need to pray that God’s will be done; that the Gospel be spread.  And we also need to pray for each other so  that our ministry will be successful.  And we need to pray for our neighbors because God loves them too.  Bottom line- we need to pray!  Crawl into Abba- Father’s lap and His Spirit will tell you what to pray for.

 

 

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There are a lot of articles on this website dealing with prayer. 
To see some of them, click this button:   Prayer  

 

 

 

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