Praying for Your Co-Workers, Family, and Friends

Praying for Your Co-Workers, Family, and Friends 

In the work of praying for those in our circle of influence, much has been said about praying from scripture. This being the truth, we must pray in God’s will (1 John 5:14) and in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18). The best way to do this is by praying from scripture as led by the Holy Spirit. Here are some helps I have found from Paul and John on what to pray for.

First, off we must discern if our CFF (Co-worker, family, or friend) is saved. I changed from saying “judged” to “discern”. You can only judge from the outward evidence of fruit, discernment is the use of spiritual gifts to know the truth of something or someone. When discerning your CFF is indeed unsaved and lost, we may use Ephesians 1:15-18

“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers
and asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.
I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, “(Ephesians 1:15-18 [BSBdraft]) Hear Episode 73

We must pray that they will have a supernatural “spirit of wisdom” and a “revelation” of knowledge of Christ. Their current state is that of being blinded by the god of this world. Pray that the bondage that is hindering them from seeing Christ, as He is, to be broken and that they would be free to decide for themselves to follow He.

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. “ (II Corinthians 4:3-4 [BSBdraft]) Hear Episode 71

Next, pray that they would cease from doing wrong and walk as Christ walked.

“Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong” (II Corinthians 13:7-9 [BSBdraft]) Hear Episode 75

The next good thing to pray is that they would have a knowledge of God’s will for their lives and have supernatural wisdom (not worldly wisdom) and understanding of it. Which will lead to them walking worthy of Christ and being fruitful in everything they do, spiritually and secular.

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:9-14 [BSBdraft] Hear Episode 76

Praying that the Lord would be glorified in their lives is very important to the life of a believer. This should be the chief aim of believers and would bring great fulfillment to them.

“To this end, we always pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of His calling, and that He will powerfully fulfill your every good desire and work of faith so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. “(II Thessalonians 1:11-12 [BSBdraft] Hear Episode 77

And finally, pray that they would be successful in their lives. Not necessarily wealth of fruitfulness and success in Kingdom work. The following verse is used a lot in prosperity preaching, but I see that the work is properly interpreted as “success”. Although secular success is good, not over success in the work of the Kingdom of God. Just as we cause our soul, the intellect, emotions, and the eternal part of the whole person, is successful through the renewing of the mind, so we should be successful in our work for the Kingdom. Which includes our jobs, school, and family life.

“Beloved, I pray that in every way you may prosper and enjoy good health, as your soul also prospers.” (III John 1:2 [BSBdraft]) Hear Episode 78

In conclusion, this is by no way the final word on this subject. The Word of God is full of instructions and wisdom for praying for our co-workers, family and friends. Dig deep to find out how the Spirit wishes for you to pray for those He loves and gave His life for.

Posted on the Marketplace Christian Resource Blog by Wayne Brooks June 27, 2021. The audio version coming soon on Podcast.

Bible quotations and versions come from the Xiphos Bible Software (Linux Mint)

Prayer For Your Co-Worker: Part One

Have you ever just had a small inkling to say a prayer for a co-worker. Maybe they were going through a bad time or you saw their life headed in the wrong direction. You had the desire but did not know how to start. In this series, I hope to share a little on how you can pray effectively for your co-workers and maybe family, friends, and others.

First off, you're going to have to play the judge. I know we are told “not to judge” and when you quote, “You will know them by their fruits”, you are told that God did not call you to be a fruit inspector. Although this is witty, it is not scriptural. Matthew 7:1 and Luke 6:37 tell us not to judge others but Jesus says in Matthew 7:16 and 20 that, “You will know them by their fruits” and “therefore by their fruits you will know them.” So which is it? I submit that Jesus is talking about people as trees. You will know a tree by the fruit it bears. He did not say you will know if the fruit is good or bad. We are to see the fruit and discern whether the people are saved or unsaved. Or for a better metaphor, are they partaking of the Tree of Life or the forbidden Tree of Knowledge? We are not to judge the fruit of service to God. That is His doing.

So why am I talking about judging? Our first action in praying for our co-worker is to discern spiritually if the co-worker is a Christ-follower (Saved, Born again, Christian or however you wish to say it). To know this gives you promises from God’s Word to use, and through the Word, know God’s will for the co-worker.

What is God’s will for your co-worker you may ask? In 1 Timothy 2:3, Paul says,
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” No matter what others say about there being a “predestined” people to be saved and others not, it is God’s will that all receive Him. He has no pleasure in the death of the godless. (Ezekiel 18:32)
If you are unable to discern if they are saved or unsaved, pray for their salvation. If you can’t tell if someone is a Christian then odds are they are not.

How do you start, realize you are in a battle for their soul. This sounds wild, but it is the truth. Not many preachers speak of demons and evil spirits but that does not mean they do not exist. The Bible is full of teachings on our enemy and that they will do anything to hinder someone from knowing Christ. Paul tells the Corinthians,
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
So without going into a deep discussion of spiritual warfare, we are to stand against this spirit that blinds the co-worker from seeing the truth and pray against it, and pray not only that they will see the truth, but believe it.

In the conclusion of part one, Discern their needs, their greatest need is to know Christ. Of course pray for any other needs in their life, and pray that they will see God’s hand at work in it.

Prayers of Martin Luther's for the Workplace

10. A Prayer Before Beginning One's Work.
Eternal and merciful God, I am about to resume my work and the duties of the calling into which Thou hast placed me, Thy servant. May I apply myself according to the ability Thou dost grant, so that I may serve my neighbor and make an honest living. Relying on Thy gracious promise, I there­fore heartily pray Thee to bestow upon me, for the duties about to be resumed, prudence, wisdom, under­standing, success, and blessing, together with health, so that I may not only make a good beginning, but in Thy name and by Thine aid arrive at a profitable close, thus at all times faithfully attending to my duties with a clear conscience and in Thy fear. To Thee I commend my work. Graciously let me suc­ceed in all that I undertake and let me accomplish what I undertake in Thy name, so that Thy light may cast a bright beam on my path to Thy praise and glory and to the welfare of my neighbol:.;
11. A Prayer for Blessing in One's Calling.
o Lord, Thou dost assign to each man his duties according to his abilities and dost want us to eat our bread in the sweat of our brow until we return again
'unto dust; and Thou hast promised that, if we fear Thee and walk in Thy ways, we shall eat the labor of our hands, and it shall be well with us. Behold, upon Thy word I have cast out the net of my calling. May my toil and ~abor not be lost, but grant that, working with my hands the thing which is good, I may have to give to him that needeth. May Thy blessing - on which all depends - ever attend my efforts, so that I may bring them to a successful issue without impairing the interests of others, in order that my substance be devoted to the honor of God and the members of my.family may be provided for. Cause Thy blessing, I pray Thee, to increase as time goes on; bless our ''basket and our store"; for Thy blessing maketh rich, and Thou addest no sorrow with it. 0 Lord, make my heart glad and my face joyful; give me health, life, and success. I ask all this subject to Thy will; Lord, hear my prayer. To Thee I commit my way and trust in Thee; Thou wilt bring it to pass. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salva­tion. .dmen.
14. Thanksgiving upon Completion of Work.
Almighty, eternal, and beneficent God, I give unto Thee hearty thanks and praise for Thy most holy aid and assistance shown me this day; for
without Thee I surely could have done nothing, and
therefore all praise properly belongs to Thee. And I pray Thee, deign to be pleased with my work and have it tend to the welfare, in body and soul, of my­self and my fellow-men; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, true God, who liveth and reigneth to all eter­nity with Thee and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

From the Abridged Treasury of Prayers
Concordia Publishing
copyright 1942

No Nudist In The Kingdom; The Conclusion: The Putting On

In parts 1-7 we looked at items in 1 Peter 2:1-3, Colossians 3:8-9 Eph. 4:31-32 and that we are to “put off” or better translated as “take off” as in taking off a coat and laying it aside. And we discussed how the Lord always gives us something better to put on when He has us take something off. Therefore not leaving us Spiritually naked.
Now we come to the conclusion, “The Putting On”.
In Ephesians 6:13-18 (NAS) we read:
"Therefore take up the full Armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore,
having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, Which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.
I’ve heard a lot of versions of this passage and in a sense all of them are true. Here is my take on the armor of God.
The girdle of Truth. Take off all the falseness and lies and put on truth. Just tell the truth. Be truthful. Not to the point of hurting others but don’t be a liar. No matter what else you do, being caught in a lie can undo all of it.
1. Breastplate of Righteousness. Take off all evil and be clothed in righteousness. Not our own but Christ’s. The Word says our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Not good for anything. Stand before God in Christ. In Right Standing with the Father.
2. Shod with the Gospel of Peace. Take off all strife. And put on Peace. The Gospel in a whole is Peace. Peace with God, Peace with self and peace with others. Being always in strife can crush your testimony. Who always wants to be in turmoil?
3. Helmet of Salvation. The helmet protects the head therefore we must renew our minds by focusing on the Word and keeping our thoughts on the Kingdom.
4. Shield of Faith. The shield is not an item of clothing, but it is necessary for the armor. All through the Book of Psalms God is said to be our Shield. Pick up your Faith in God. You can lay it down and become vulnerable to the enemy. Pick it up and stand side by side with others (in the Church of Faith) and you all become a mighty fighting force. Just like the Romans depicted in the movies with their line of battle with shields in front, above and all sides. Unbeatable.
5. The Sword of the Spirit. It is as it says. The sword is the Word of God. The Bible. But it is much more. It is the Word of God used in and by the Holy Spirit in the Believer. Pick it up and use in His Spirit for attack and defense.
6. Prayer. Now prayer is listed as part of the whole military thing because without a good supply line the army will fail no matter how they won the battle.
So here we are at the end. Take it all off and put on the glorious garments the Lord has for you.

Prayer: Lord, help us to take off all actions and attributes that do not bring Glory to Your name and Kingdom and help us to put on the things that would further your Kingdom. Amen

2 Chron 7:14 Call to Prayer for Nation

I normally don't pass on forwards, but I felt I needed to do this one. And I wanted to post it here. As stated the author is unknown,but I agree with it.
And for all of my international readers, this applies to your country also.

Wayne

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Bill Taylor
To: Sent: Sat, October 24, 2009 11:35:24 AM
Subject: Fwd: FW: 2 Chron 7:14

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 Chron 7:14

We are speeding towards one world government and the second
coming at a rapid pace. I remember reading about the children
of Israel who turned from God time and time again, only to realize
their mistake and pray for forgiveness. Each time, God would
forgive them and they would walk with him for a time. So, I am
going to ask you to join me in praying for our nation everyday.

God is in control!!!
Our president did not encourage participation in the National Day
of Prayer. He called it an event He thinks it should be private
prayer instead of Public Prayer.
May God Have Mercy On America & Protect Our Troops
In Texarkana last week, there were signs in people's yards that
said, " America , prayer is our only hope" with 2 Chron. 7:14
underneath. We certainly need God's help!
I have no idea who started this, but I certainly agree with this
e-mail. I heard a preacher on TV tonight who said if we pray for
our nation that things will turn around. After a day of contemplation
and soul searching, I have decided to reach out to my friends and
relatives and ask you to do something that has been troubling me
for a long time.

Our nation is/has been on the slippery slope for a long time. If you
look around you will find corruption, greed, moral decay, and a
steady move away from the things that made us great. The
principles upon which this nation was founded are no longer our
backbone. However, we can reverse this trend.

2 Chron. 7:14 in God's word he states, "If my people who are
called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my
face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from
heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
I am convinced that we must pray for our nation and its leaders and
ask for forgiveness. So I ask you to join me in this plea to our Lord.
Would you please send this to people in your address book and ask
them to pray everyday. If you do and they comply, we will lift up
millions and millions of prayers a day to our Creator. He will hear
us and in faith will answer.

Let me just add a quote from Ronald Reagan. "If we ever forget
that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."
I truly believe this is why the United States of America is in the
shape we are in today. Most people have forgotten that we are one
nation under God! Let us as Christians stand up and remind people
of this..!

Author unknown but I support them.

Just A Quick Word Before The Election Tomorrow.

We really need to pray for our nation. And put things in His hands. history has tought us that no one man can change this country (or ruin it. No matter who wins, we the praying people will bring change. If we do not pray, we will bring change also. But who wants that kind.

Pray about your vote before doing it.
Pray for True Spiritual revival in our nation.
Pray for our new leaders that they will allow the Lord to guide them.
Pray that His enimies will be shown and that He would deal justly with them.