ODB: Praying Friends

March 9, 2013

READ: 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 

Brethren, pray for us. —1 Thessalonians 5:25

I met my friend Angie for lunch after having not seen her for several months. At the end of our time together, she pulled out a piece of paper with notes from our previous get-together. It was a list of my prayer requests she had been praying for since then. She went through each one and asked if God had answered yet or if there were any updates. And then we talked about her prayer requests. How encouraging to have a praying friend!

The apostle Paul had a praying relationship with the churches he served, including the one at Thessalonica. He thanked God for the faith, love, and hope of the people (1 Thess. 1:2-3). He longed to see them, and asked God “night and day” that he might be able to visit them again (3:10-11). He requested that the Lord would help them “increase and abound in love to one another and to all” (v.12). He also prayed that their hearts would be blameless before God (v.13). They must have been encouraged as they read about Paul’s concern and prayers for them. Paul knew too his own need for God’s presence and power and pleaded, “Brethren, pray for us” (5:25).

Loving Father, thank You for wanting us to talk with You. Teach us all to be praying friends.

— Anne Cetas

I need the prayers of those I love
While traveling on life’s rugged way,
That I may true and faithful be,
And live for Jesus every day. —Vaughn

The best kind of friend is a praying friend.

Source: Our Daily Bread

1 reply
  1. mengpoo
    mengpoo says:

    Last week I was visiting at Wesley Church Melaka (in Malaysia). A sister came to me and said that she has been praying for me. She has put my name in her list of people to pray on a regular basis. What a great encouragement to me!. She was not a family member nor would I say, I really know her. I have spoken in their church family camp several years ago and that was it. But she remembers to pray for me. Likewise, I too must continue to pray for others, when sometimes I do ponder, what is the point. The point really is that God knows and God hears.

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