Communion With the Christ:: Praying for Others Should be a Joy

“pray for one another” Jam: 5:17

I hope that you won’t find this short piece too negative, if it comes across that way I do apologize, I really do not intend it to be, but what led to the writing of this article was however some negative experiences.

Many years ago, I had a rather wonderful epiphany as I thought and prayed about the Holy Word of God regarding the relationship which our Lord has invited us to be a part of and to participate in. This relationship which the Gospel invites us into was called by the ancient Church the perichoresis, which roughly mean to “to joyful dance around one another eternally”. This describes the relationship which God has within himself as the Holy Trinity.

God lives in a joyful “fellowship of common essence” within himself, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it is a relationship of joy, love, deeply held and high regard and edifying respect and support.

It is through Jesus Christ that we are able to be brought in among this “fellowship of common essence”. But this fellowship is not just “someday” in eternity beyond the confines of this world, but is for us to be a part of here and now upon the Earth among those who have come to believe in Jesus as God’s uniquely born Son and the Savior of humanity the second person of the Holy Trinity.

A rather large part of our participation within the perichoresis here upon the Earth and among believers is prayer with and for one another. Prayer shows great regard and mutual support and as well engages believers with the Holy Trinity; this should be a great joy.

Reactions to Prayer Request

As participants of this fellowship of the perichoresis we should find the same joyful love and edifying respect and support among others in Jesus.

I had come to see how it could be within my own mind. I could see clearly how glorious it truly could be. I could see how we were meant to “bear each other’s burdens” and mutually support one another.

It was about this time in my life, now many years ago, that I came to experience some very sad responses from other Christians, which unfortunately left me “gun-shy” about asking for prayers from others including even other minsters and pastors.

It was before I was hired full salary as a pastor. I knew a minster of our fellowship who would often ask me “what can I pray for you about?” but, I noticed that each time that I would bring up something to be prayed about this minister would begin to interrupt me with prying questions about my request, which there was little time or space to fill him in on all the details.

Now, it could be argued that this minster was only attempting to “beat the incense fine” as to pray in an informed manner. However, that is not where it would end. This minster would then make statements such as “you’re not keeping your eyes on Jesus” “you’re not having faith” “you’re not trusting God”. Often these statements would be accompanied with selective Scripture to add weight to his “observations”. It was like being lectured or given a sermon.

Many times, I would find my self-asking “why did I even bother to ask him to pray about this?”. I would think “this is not right”, “this is not how we are to relate to one another”.

This minster would often add his insights into my request, which to be frank were almost always wrong. I would say “no, that is not the case” to which, he would respond “yes, it is I can discern it”. I used to wonder “how can he discern this over such a great distance?”

After many such prayer requests which resulted in sermons and lectures, I stopped accepting this minster’s offer of “what can I pray for you about?”. I would just say “whatever comes to mind” and left it at that.

What really put an end to me asking for prayers from this minster was when my wife became ill many years ago. She had gotten sick one early Spring and was so sick that she lost a great deal of weight. She went from being 108 pounds down to 88 pounds. Our doctor wanted her to be admitted to the hospital and that looked like that was where she was headed.

When we arrived home from the doctor’s office, she asked me to call this minister and ask him to pray for her. I was rather hesitant for I had seldom given him any details about our personal lives for quite some time due to the sermonizing and lectures which always resulted.

When I called and asked for prayers for my wife I regretted it from the outset. After I explained the request there was a long pause…..Then came the words “you have given in to a spirit of fear” . I responded “no I haven’t" the reply came back “you most certainly have, I can discern it”, again the long-distance diagnoses. He was more then wrong he was “out-of-line”. I was asking for my wife, there was no fear in me just concern for her.

From that time onward I have shared very little of my private life with this particular minister. This is not how our relationships among believers are meant to be.

Pray Ministry Reaction

There was a point when my wife and I were facing, like many couples do some challenging times, in this particular instance it was a financial challenge which loomed before us.

We together resolved to ask for prayers from members of our fellowship's Prayer Ministry.

We met with four of the prayer team members before services one morning. We regretted it again from the outset. What we met with was again lectures, and we were told by one of them, that by asking for God’s divine assistance in bringing a very difficult time to and end that we were “trying to force our wills on God”. Another out right refused to pray for us. Another lectured us on faith. Only one stood by and quietly listened to us and offered to pray as we had asked.

What was amazing to me was all these prayer ministry people and others often asked me for prayer on their behalf for a wide variety of needs, wants and issues, which I gave prayer for without hesitation for them.

God’s Will and an Embarrassment

Over the years I have had made request for prayer from many who would respond after interrupting me several times “I’ll pray for God’s will”. Yes, that is always upper most in our prayers, yet they themselves never really understood what I was asking prayer for or why.

I once had a person who was supposed to be a leader among the congregation request to meet with me in my office after church to talk to me about something.

We entered into my office and shut the door. This person proceeded to tell me that it was an “embarrassment” that during the congregational prayer time that I asked God to bring new members into our congregation and build up our church. He just kept saying “it’s an embracement! an embarrassment!”. I was stunned that anyone would make such an assertion that to ask God to bring new people to a congregation would be classified in such terms as an "embarrassment"..

My Response

I do not know if how I feel about all of this is correct. I found myself very disappointed and hesitant to ask for prayers from very many people but save a very few, and some of those do not even live in the same country as I do.

I do not mean it to sound so negative, but in every case these people are those who estimate themselves to have exceed those around them and will be frank about their advanced spiritual conditions.

When we are asked to pray for someone, we should take that opportunity as one to participate in the joy of the perichoresis with our brethren, to be asked to pray for someone should be viewed as an honor which someone has thought we worthy of.

Prayer together and seeking our God’s blessing for another is a joy for both and should leave neither the requester nor the one requested to pray feeling frustrated.

“pray for one another” Jam: 5:17

We are told by St. Paul to:

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Gal: 6:2

I can say that I do not hold anything against any that I have mentioned, but it truly has shaped how I interact with other Christians, it falls very short of the glorious epiphany of the perichoresis which I was given a glimpse of for a moment.

If you receive a request for prayer from another accept what they are willing or able to share with you, do so without sermonizing and lectures hear what they are asking you for and offer your request with them before the Throne of Grace, this will add to their joy.

Benediction: May we each and all ever receive and offer prayers for our brethren that our Joy might be complete today, tomorrow and forever more. Amen.