Praying For You

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“I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from this world. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.  This is because I gave them the words that you gave me, and they received them. They truly understood that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I’m praying for them. I’m not praying for the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours.  Everything that is mine is yours and everything that is yours is mine; I have been glorified in them.”
- John 17:6-10 CEB
You know those phrases that are natural responses in conversations? Things like, “okay, love you, bye” or, “talk to you later”  are things that we say without even thinking about it. It’s these phrases that we have become so comfortable with so they just roll off the tongue. I also think that the phrase, “I’ll be praying for you” is something that we say without really thinking about it. It’s so easy to be talking to someone about a hard time in their life, and without giving it much thought, reply with, “I will be praying for you.” It is an easy response when you do not know what to say and it is a easy thing to put on cards, or social media posts.

Common phrases such as this aren’t necessarily bad! However, when we say this without realizing that were saying it where are we left? I know that I have been guilty of telling someone that I was going to be praying for them, and forgetting to actually pray for them.
So why does it matter? Why are we spending time out of our day praying for other people?
There are a lot of scriptures that show us the power and importance of prayer. Prayer is this super personal, one-on-one time to talk to God. It is a time to seek comfort, ask for help, confess sin, express gratefulness, and just talk to Him.

In this verse from John we see Jesus talking to God about the disciples. He explains their faithfulness and trust that they have together. Jesus describes a close friendship with these people who spent their lives with Him. My favorite part is when it says, “I’m praying for them. I’m not praying for the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours.”

This verse seems so mundane and human to me. Taken out of context it simply sounds like a man thanking God for the people that he has in his life. When I am reminded that this is Jesus saying this, it reminds me of the importance of praying for the people in our lives. It can be so easy to take things for granted in life. We forget to recognize the blessings that have been put in our life. It can especially be easy to take people for granted. We think that friends or family will always be there, and we come to expect it. This verse from John reminds us to take time to remember that the people in our lives are a blessing from God. He has placed people in your life for a reason AND He has placed you in people’s lives for a reason. As Christians we are called to pray for people just as Jesus prayed for the people in His life.
Remember to thank God for the people in your life, and pray for them just as Jesus did for His friends.

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