What does the Bible say about praying for others?
Praying for others allows us to share the love of Christ. Our own relationship with Jesus deepens as we take requests concerning other people to our Heavenly Father. There is great power in admitting our sins and praying for each other. This is stated in the New Testament, in the Epistle of James (5:16).
Matthew 5:44 tells us to pray for our loved ones as well as our enemies. Holy Scripture calls us to love our enemies and ask for those who persecute us. Sometimes this is not so easy to do. But in Christianity it is common to pray for everyone, not just those we love.
What and how should you pray for other people? In Romans 8:26, the Apostle Paul answers this question. You shouldn't worry about what words will be said. It also doesn’t matter whether the prayer is loud or quiet, whether it is said in the morning or before bed. The main thing is to be sincere and talk about someone else's pain, ask for help that another person needs, or thank God for blessings and love sent to them.
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Jesus Prayer. Subtleties and nuances. Rev. Paisiy Svyatogorets
- Geronda, how does the mind descend into the heart?
– When the heart hurts, the mind goes into the heart. How does your heart hurt? When I think about God’s blessings and my own ingratitude, my heart is hurt, it hurts, and my mind goes there.
– Geronda, when I have a headache, I cannot pray.
– If your leg hurts and at that moment you cut your hand with a knife, then you forget about the pain in your leg and think about your hand. Likewise, when your head hurts and you cannot pray, then think first about your own sins, then about the suffering of people, and then your heart will begin to ache. The pain of your heart will neutralize your headache, and you will begin to pray with your heart for yourself and for the whole world.
- Geronda, what needs to be done so that the mind does not wander here and there?
– It is difficult to curb a mind that rushes at a speed greater than the speed of light. You need to “take him by the hand” and lead him to the suffering, the sick, the abandoned, the deceased. Then the mind, which sees all this, knocks on the heart, and it, no matter how callous it may be, softens, and the prayer becomes heartfelt. Then the person with tears asks God for help. But if a person thinks about all this and does not sympathize - neither human troubles, nor the torments of the condemned dead, nor the suffering of their souls touch him, then this means that such a person has everything in abundance, he lives in satiety, and carnal wisdom and old the people in it are very strong.
– Geronda, often during the service my mind is directed not to heavenly things, but to the suffering of people.
- One thing is connected to the other. The question is not simply to say a prayer or just to have a mind free from thoughts; you need the “engine” to work so that your heart sympathizes with what you are praying for.
– Geronda, when I come to my cell after obedience, I try to concentrate my brain, free it from thoughts about work and various images, but I feel heaviness and tension in my head.
– “Concentrate the mind” must be said. But you were right when you said “focus your brain,” because you pray with your head. When a person prays with his head, it is natural that the brain becomes tense and the head hurts. I see the same thing with others: they do something beneficial for the soul, for example, read some kind of spiritual book and work not with their minds, but with their brains, and then they get a headache. Just like those who mechanically approach heartfelt prayer, and then their heart hurts. When I want to pray and try to concentrate, my mind must turn to Christ. Then he does not dissipate - he immediately sends a telegram to the heart, and immediately the mind connects with the heart.
Another thing is working with your mind, which makes you tired. Why do I say that you need to make someone else’s pain your own? The mind must turn to the pain of the other and then pray. Otherwise you end up with something lifeless. For example, you say with your mind that there are sick people and you need to pray for them, but neither your mind nor your heart is involved in this. But if you yourself are in pain, then your mind constantly thinks about it. The same thing, if you make another person’s pain your own, then the mind will relentlessly be in it.
– And he won’t be distracted?
– It may get distracted. It depends on how much pain you feel. For example, in a house where there is a patient whose appendicitis has been removed: the family will sit next to him for a while, they can sing and dance, and then everyone will go about their own business. It’s another matter if a person has cancer after surgery: there is great grief here, which no one can forget about for a minute. Only those who do not understand the seriousness of the situation can forget.
So, when I was little and one day my seriously ill sister was brought home, almost dying, I took the harmonica, sat down next to her and began to play - I did not understand what a critical situation she was in.
– Geronda, our brain is a bodily organ, and our mind is a spiritual one?
– Yes, like alcohol: the main thing is the alcohol that it contains, it acts, not water. Likewise, the mind is the essence of the brain, the best thing in a person.
- So, Geronda, the heart doesn’t work because the mind doesn’t work?
- Of course, dear! All the power is in him.
– Is reason not needed at all, Geronda?
– Needed to some extent; is needed to say that the mind must turn to the pain of another person. Only this, and then the mind begins to work. Think about the grieving people, feel compassion for them and start praying.
Reasons why the phrase "I'm praying for you" is so powerful
If you tell someone that you have been praying for them, both you and that person will become closer to God. As you know, through prayer God listens and comforts us. When a person knows that they are praying for him, he is freed from a heavy burden, finds peace, understands that he is not alone, that God is helping him.
In the Gospel of John (8:32) there are lines that prayer allows us to rely on God, and not on our human abilities. When we talk with God, our faith is strengthened as He surrounds us with His glory.
The phrase “I pray for you” is a powerful demonstration of love, faith, and trust in our Heavenly Father. We don't rely on the world for answers. The truth, the way and the light are in Him.
Pray to God with consistency
“Pray with all prayer and supplication at all times in the Spirit, and strive for this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)
“Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving. Pray also for us, that God will open the door for us to speak, to proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, so that I may open it as I should proclaim it.” (Colossians 4:2-4)
Consistency plays a vital role in the matter of prayer. When Jesus Christ told a famous parable, he said the following words about good soil: “The grains that fell into good soil mean those who listen to the word of God with a pure and good heart, keep it faithfully and do not retreat until it bears fruit. " (Luke 8:15).” If in the case of seeds it is necessary to have patience and not give up until the fruit appears, then in the case of prayers patience is often expressed precisely in constancy.
Consistency shows how important what he does is to a person. This applies to sports results, for example. The bad athlete is the one who gives up after the first setbacks. But the one who has been purposefully pursuing his goal for many years will achieve success. He may not reach the highest places on the podium, but he will definitely be rewarded with a strong character and other fruits of his training. This applies to the professional career of any employee. Constant work on yourself and your business will bear fruit. So it is with prayer. Consistency in prayer shows God our sincere desire and the importance of what we ask for.
How do you pray for others?
Every time we talk to God, we can be sure that He hears us. Whether we are on our knees or raising our hands in praise and thanksgiving, we have the opportunity to pray for others. Whether we are alone or in a group, we can share with Heavenly Father problems that concern others.
Some churches have groups of people who voluntarily pray for people other than themselves. Day or night, they are contacted by phone, email, or in person when prayer is needed. In some situations, people, out of concern for confidentiality, do not give their name. But this does not prevent us from offering prayers for them, because there are no secrets for God.
Prayer groups and prayer partners can be found all over the world. They exist both in local communities and in very remote places. But through them you can share your worries and joys with the Almighty, ask for healing from an illness, for guidance on the right path in making a difficult decision, and thank you for your help.
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About the danger of the Jesus Prayer
It is believed that dark forces more often “attack” people who pray to the Son of God. The clergy claim that this is due to the fact that the Jesus Prayer for women and men has enormous power that can lead a person to heaven. In order to lead the “victim” to the dark side, demons begin to reveal his sins to a person and instill in him the idea that salvation is impossible. It is recommended to receive a blessing in church before using the Jesus Prayer and start with a small number of repetitions.
It is important to pay attention to possible spiritual obstacles that may appear when reading the Jesus Prayer. The clergy argue that there is no need to try to read the prayer for a huge amount of time, since it is not a matter of quantity. While pronouncing, try to maintain humility of spirit. Temptations do not appear at the first stages, but after some time, so an experienced spiritual mentor will come in handy. There are also situations when specific words are especially difficult to come by. In such a situation, you need to treat them carefully, delving into the depth of the theological meaning.
The Jesus Prayer can be read to the laity
The Jesus Prayer is known as the practice of monks. This is true. It is performed with an experienced mentor according to certain rules. But the laity can also read such a prayer.
Unless the attitude towards it should be the same as to any other prayer. No techniques, breathing rhythms, etc. are needed. For the laity, it’s just prayer. This is what priest Dimitry Shishkin says about it:
“A lot has been said about the Jesus Prayer for the laity, both by the holy fathers and modern experienced confessors: it is necessary.
But its whole “secret” is that there is no secret.
And if we do not invent these “secrets” for ourselves, then a heartfelt and attentive appeal to the Lord in simplicity and contrition will undoubtedly contribute to our good progress on the path of Christian life.
Here it is necessary to distinguish between “doing mental prayer” by a monk under the guidance of an experienced confessor (this is a separate topic that we will not touch upon now) and the repetition of prayer by a layman at any time and at any hour: out loud, if there is such an opportunity, or silently, if a person is in a public place.
Simplicity and sincerity, awareness of one’s weakness and complete surrender of oneself into the hands of God are the main thing here, as in any prayer.”
Dmitry Shishkin
priest
The Jesus Prayer is called a mantra, but it’s better not to talk about other people’s traditions from within your own
Representatives of Eastern traditions express the opinion that the Jesus Prayer is a form of meditation. It is useless to argue with this, since from their point of view everything is really just like that.
There are opinions that you need to read the Jesus Prayer with the correct breathing rhythm. Another sign of meditation is mentioned - the spiritual goals of prayer.
Saint John Climacus advises:
“Do not try to talk too much, lest your mind become distracted in search of prayer.”
Concentration of the mind is the criterion of meditation.
But we are talking about formal similarities. For an outsider, this is meditation. He can't be convinced. Orthodoxy has its own view of the Jesus Prayer, but it has weight specifically for members of the Church. Non-Christians cannot be convinced by Christian arguments.
Often people who are not versed in Eastern teachings try to make the following distinction:
- prayer is communication with God;
- meditation is simply a spiritual practice.
This is not true at all. Mantra meditations are also addressed to Higher powers, so you should avoid the desire to approach other people's traditions with your own standard.
Therefore, there is no need to argue with representatives of other teachings about what mediation is and what is not. They have their own idea, and the Orthodox have theirs.
When is it necessary to pray for another person?
Of course, there are no restrictions regarding when and how a prayer can be read for another person.
You can ask for help not for yourself, but for someone who needs it, from the saints or the Lord under any circumstances. To pray, you don’t need to wait for a person to have trouble. If an intuitive desire arises to ask the Almighty for mercy and help for someone, this should be done without hesitation. Traditionally, a prayer for another person is read if there are any problems in his life, discord in the family, misfortune, or illness. They also pray for those who are subject to harmful passions - alcoholism, gambling, drug addiction, or others. In addition, you need to pray for those for whom everything seems to be going well in life, but the people themselves are far from God, sinful, petty, fussy, angry, and arrogant. And of course, you need to pray for people who, due to life circumstances, for example, serious illness, cannot do this on their own.
