The wonderful truth that God moves our hearts to pray is revealed in Scripture. Philippians 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.8 This implies that God is actively involved in shaping our desires, including prompting us to seek His will in prayer. Considering such matters is truly inspirational because it demonstrates that God is actively involved in our lives and desires to include us in His work.
At times, you may be going about your day or awakened in the night when God prompts you to pray for someone, having no idea of their specific need beyond the fact that they need prayer. What a privilege it is to pray for people in these situations. I believe the Lord loves it when His children respond to the Spirit’s promptings to intercede for someone. In addition, the Lord is teaching us the importance of listening to His still, small voice.
God Told Abraham to Pray for Abimelech
After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham moved to Gerar, where he met a wealthy King named Abimelech. Fearing for his life, Abraham told him that his wife was his sister. Soon after, Abimelech brought Sarah into his household but had not yet had relations with her. Then something miraculous happened: God gave him a dream revealing that Sarah was married and instructed him to return her to Abraham.
Genesis 20:7 Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.” [1] This verse clarifies that the intention to pray for Abimelech originated from God, not Abraham.
Shortly afterward, Abimelech provided Abraham with livestock, servants, and silver to compensate for any wrong he might have caused. Genesis 20:17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children.[2]
The Power of Intercessory Prayer
Intercessory prayer is praying to God on behalf of others, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus bridged the gap between us and God through His death on the cross. Thanks to His mediation, we can intercede for others in prayer. Scripture instructs us to pray for one another. 1 Timothy 2:1I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.[3]
Praying for others makes us more like Jesus. We cannot ask the Lord to strengthen others without being strengthened ourselves. Likewise, we cannot request God to soften someone’s heart without our own heart being softened. The Lord urges us to pray because He knows the power of prayer, which benefits both those for whom we pray and ourselves. Intercession helps us see others’ needs spiritually and lift our voices to God on their behalf.
To learn more about how God moves on our hearts to pray, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/when-fear-leads-to-deceit
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.