What if I told you that praying for others would help you in the long run? Want to know how? Well, read on…

When I get the time, I usually volunteer at the phone lines of a local ministry where I get to pray for people who phone in for prayer requests. But lately, I had consigned to a corner away from ministerial work. Perhaps it was as a result of the struggles of Christian life or the hectic job that left very little time for me to spend for ministry work. Or perhaps, I was just finding reasons to back off. However, the Holy Spirit reprimanded me and urged me to restart my ministry work and I finally decided last month that I will go back to volunteering. So, I returned to the phone lines where in a myriad of prayer requests from various cities were waiting to be prayed for. These were desperate people with situations, some of which most of us could barely fathom, all hoping for one thing – an answer from God.

After a few days on the phone lines praying with the people, I felt a sense of relief and somewhat a spiritual content. The heavyhearted feeling and self-absorption left.

During these moments, the Holy Spirit taught me some very essential lessons which I’d like to share with you.

Here are 3 reasons why praying for others can actually be good for you:

1. YOUR FOCUS SHIFTS FROM YOU TO THEM

Interestingly, when all this while you were busy dwelling in your problems, once you start praying for others from the depth of your heart, you start shifting your focus to their petitions and start remembering them in your daily prayers. You wish to see a deliverance in their situations. That’s what happened to me.

People would call in with all sorts of issues – some were terminally ill patients suffering of cancer or some other terrible diseases and some had unbelievable financial debts. It was hard to not feel sorry for them at the least. During the phone call, the Lord’s compassion would flood my heart and faith would get activated in full swing.

My lack of faith in my problems and issues would be compensated by the faith I had in their issues. By the end of the prayers, I realize I have cordoned off every ounce of selfishness within me along with the complaining and the bickering and I am able to experience God’s joy even more.

“Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)

2. YOU LEARN TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR

When you pray for others, you learn the major commandments that Jesus spoke of in Mark 12:30-31 on which the entire law rested on.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. ³¹ And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV)

When you learn to pray for others you learn to pray for their needs just like you would for yourself. The body of Christ comprises the entire body of believers worshipping in unison before the living God. To worship in isolation, is almost an abomination before God and this is understood far clearer when Apostle Paul exhorts the Corinthians about the true function of the Body of Christ.

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

1 Corinthians 12:26 (NKJV)

Throughout the bible, the Holy Spirit stresses on how important it is to pray as a community:

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)

God is ever-present when two or more pray together for a particular matter. And based on personal experience, deliverance and healing occur quicker when you pray with them for their needs earnestly with much tears.

3. SPIRITUAL ELEVATION

And when you recognize the ministerial mandate to pray for others, there is a spiritual promotion taking place in your life. You start maturing as a Christian, constantly inculcating the habit of praying for others and more importantly forgiveness comes a lot easier this time. If you were self-absorbed initially you learn to let it go by now. You are able to enjoy the presence of God more freely even though you still haven’t got the answer for that prayer request in your life.

You reach a level in your prayer life responding to the commands of the Holy Spirit when He tells you whom to pray for and how. You are able to recognize this instantly now. With this we are able to re-establish the reality that living in Christ is about praying for every soul near and dear to Christ – lost and saved.

What can you do to pray for others? Download the infographic below (right click and save), take a print out of it and post it on your wall. Make it your choice from today onwards that your prayer life would include praying for others:

Do you think you have any more suggestions to add up to this? If yes, share it with us in the comment box below. I would love to hear from you!