CARRYPRAYER AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO PRAY FOR OTHERS
Carry Others to Jesus An Intercessory Prayer Practice Luke 5 Many years ago, I was having a conversation with a very dear friend. As we interacted, she shared some insights about me that I had not directly told her before. No one could have known, because I had not shared with anyone. She was quite observant, but I was still surprised when she shared with me her thoughts. I asked her how she knew. She said, I know you because I pray for you. I didn t really understand that fully at the time, but over the years I began to learn what she meant. The Lord had obviously led her to pray things for me that were core for me at the time. How is it possible to pray for someone that deeply without having been given a specific prayer request? What would it look like for Jesus invite us into his thoughts, ideas and desires for another person? How can we cooperate with Him as we pray for our friends and family? Using the text from Luke 5, we can practice carrying others to Jesus. He knows them, loves them, and will meet them right where they are. Blessings, Gem Fadling 2016 Unhurried Living, Inc. http://www.unhurriedliving.com/ Page 1
Let s begin with a scene from the life of Jesus in Luke: One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, Friend, your sins are forgiven. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone? Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up and walk? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. So he said to the paralyzed man, I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home. Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, We have seen remarkable things today. (Luke 5:17-26) This level of friendship is hard to come by. These men were willing to bring harm to property, disrupt a meeting, and make fools of themselves just so they could get their friend into the presence of Jesus. Neither the friends nor the paralyzed man ever made a request. They simply lowered their friend down and Jesus immediately responded to this act of faith. He knew, on every level, what the paralyzed man needed. He dealt with his soul first ( Your sins are forgiven ). Then he brought healing to his body ( Get, up, take your mat and go home ). We can follow the example of these friends as we pray for the people in our lives. We don t have to load them up on a mat and tear through a rooftop. We can simply pray. And, like my friend, we can learn how to know our friends better by bringing them into the presence of Jesus. 2016 Unhurried Living, Inc. http://www.unhurriedliving.com/ Page 2
Carry Others to Jesus: An Intercessory Prayer Practice As we pray for the people in our lives, how might we be as bold as the men in Luke 5:17-26 were in bringing our loved ones to Jesus? He already knows what they need. How can we hold them in His presence so that he may do what he most deeply desires to do in their lives? The next time you want to spend time in prayer for someone, try this: Choose one person A family member, friend, co-worker, or neighbor. Remember who Jesus is Jesus is loving. He is powerful and His authority is unmatched. He longs to bring healing. Remember who he is and that you are in his presence. It is into this relationship that you will bring your friend. the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal... [and] the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. Bring the person to Jesus in prayer You may use the imagery from the story in Luke 5 if it helps. Maybe your friend is unable to move because of their issues. You know that Jesus can help, so you carry them to Him. He sees them and he knows exactly what they need. He brings healing on every level. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Ask yourself: what would Jesus most desire? Consider what Jesus would like to say or do for this person. If they were standing together, what is the first thing that Jesus might say to your friend? Let this be a simple word or phrase, nothing long or fancy. Let Jesus share his heart with you. He said, Friend, your sins are forgiven. [and] I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home. 2016 Unhurried Living, Inc. http://www.unhurriedliving.com/ Page 3
Carry Others to Jesus: An Intercessory Prayer Practice Let His desire become your request Linger here in trust for a moment. Your intention is that Jesus would do what he wants most for your friend. Let your agenda drop and let his desire raise to the surface. When Jesus saw their faith Thank the Lord Thank Jesus for embracing you and your friend. Thank him for allowing you to extend His grace on behalf of your friend. Let yourself fill with awe at his love, care and ability. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, We have seen remarkable things today. Helpful Tips You can pray this way for anyone, at any time. In just a few minutes, you can lift (or lower) your friend in the presence of Jesus. If you would like to pray this way for an extended list of people, simply spend about one minute with each name. If your list is long, you can divide up your people over the course of a few days. You decide how often you would like to pray in this manner. It is helpful to remember not to turn a practice like this into another to do. The spirit of this way of praying is as important as the practice itself. You are lingering with Jesus on behalf of another. Let the rhythm of this way of praying fill your own soul and overflow into prayer. 2016 Unhurried Living, Inc. http://www.unhurriedliving.com/ Page 4