Sometimes we want to pray for another person but aren’t sure what to say. If you’ve ever been confused about how to intercede for someone, Paul’s prayer in Colossians is appropriate for every person and every situation. Because it aligns perfectly with God’s will, you can ask these requests with confidence—both for yourself and for others:
To be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Not only do we need to know God’s plan for our lives; we also require discernment to distinguish His guiding voice from our own self-directed notions.
To walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in all ways. Our lives should be patterned after the One we follow, with a goal of glorifying Him.
To bear fruit in every good work. Instead of being wrapped up in our own jobs, possessions, pleasures, and plans, we should be contributing to others’ lives.
To increase in the knowledge of God. By reading His Word and applying it to our lives, we will gain a deeper understanding of the Lord.
To be strengthened with His power so we remain steadfast. The Christian life can be lived only with the Holy Spirit’s power.
To joyously give thanks for all God has done for us. Believers should be characterized by joy and gratitude.
Too often we focus our requests on temporal needs and miss the deeper spiritual work God wants to do. Imagine how effective your prayers will be if you’ll shift the emphasis of your petitions to the Lord’s desires. He will transform you and the people for whom you intercede.
Since praying is such a common practice for believers, over time it’s easy to fall into habits that result in a lifeless and empty prayer life. Instead of a dynamic conversation with thoughtful requests and active listening for God’s response, our prayers can seem more like grocery lists. Because communication with the Lord is such a vital part of the Christian life, we occasionally need to examine how we’re doing. Begin by asking yourself these questions:
- How effective are my prayers? Is the Lord answering your petitions, or does it seem as if they never go past the ceiling?
- Who am I praying for? Are most of your requests for yourself or are they for others?
- What am I asking God to do? Have you looked in the Word to see what He wants, or are you praying according to your plans and desires?
- When do I pray? Is it only when you need something?
If you discovered any selfishness in your answers, you’re not alone. Most of us struggle to enter God’s presence with our eyes focused on Him instead of our needs. But the only way we’ll be able to pray with impact is to fill our minds with Scripture so we can find out what the Lord wants to do.
Your prayer life can become effective and dynamic if you’ll approach the Lord with a clean heart (Ps. 66:18), align your requests with His will, and believe He will do what He says (Num. 23:19; John 14:13). Then you’ll be able to pray with absolute confidence, knowing that He will hear and answer your petitions.
The book of Proverbs has much to say about people who are lazy. They are regarded as sluggards who do not think beyond today (Proverbs 20:4), who wrongly consider themselves wise (Proverbs 26:16), and who are on a path leading to future poverty.
When people develop a habit of laziness, they tend to offer excuses—such as “I was too tired” or “I ran out of time” or “I wasn’t sure what you were asking for.” They’ll avoid doing something they don’t like, even if it’s their responsibility, and they won’t bother to seek clarification when a request isn’t clear. Instead, they do only what pleases them. Sadly, individuals who act this way have trouble recognizing what they are doing wrong, and they find criticism unreasonable. Though such men and women might think that nobody notices their attitude, it is usually very apparent to others.
People may fool themselves and even each other, but God, who sees poor attitudes and careless ways, is not pleased by shoddy efforts. He has prepared work for us to do and expects it to be handled conscientiously. The Lord knows that the consequences of laziness are serious: At work, there is the possibility of frequent criticism or even termination; at home, neglect can add tension to the atmosphere and build frustration; and in a trickle-down effect, children may start copying their parents’ undesirable work habits.
If you are already a disciplined worker but must interact with people who are not, continue to please the Lord with diligence in your work. In addition, pray for patience (Gal. 5:22), and be an example of Christ to those around you.
The Lord has appointed believers to be His ambassadors to a lost and hurting world. As His followers, we are to represent Him in our character, conduct, and conversation whenever we interact with family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers.
God expects us to be diligent in our work and faithful to complete it. However, in our self-absorbed, pleasure-seeking culture, it’s very easy to get sidetracked into laziness. This sin is dangerous in a Christian’s life because of the potential harm that can result—it can hurt our witness for Christ, damage our relationships with others, and waste both the time and the gifts the Lord has given us. Another negative result of such a lifestyle is a character marked as unreliable and untrustworthy.
Laziness frequently shows up as procrastination. We procrastinate when we tell someone we will take action and then repeatedly delay the start time. Or we may begin a project and yet find reasons not to finish it. Surely, if a believer is known as an unreliable person, it damages his or her testimony. We’re also a poor example if we make an attempt to carry out responsibilities but do so in a haphazard or incomplete way. Nor should we be neglectful about the needs of others or relationships with loved ones.
Irresponsible behavior doesn’t fit who we are in Christ. If you realize you’ve been careless in some area in your life, pray, “Lord, I have not lived as I should, and I ask You to forgive me. I choose to turn away from my lazy and neglectful attitudes. Please help me to follow through and become someone who is industrious for You.”
Yesterday, we read about how God shrank Gideon’s army down from 32,000 men to just 300 before an extremely important battle. Let’s see what happened next.
Of course, Gideon was feeling anxious. He was about to attack an enemy camp of more than 130,000 trained soldiers, and he was going to do it with just a handful of men. In this terrifying moment, God gave Gideon what he needed most: encouragement.
God woke Gideon in the middle of the night and strategically positioned him to overhear an enemy soldier recounting a frightful dream—a vision of Israelite victory! This unlikely circumstance assured Gideon that the Lord was at work. God graciously used that incident to demonstrate His sensitivity to one man’s faintheartedness. And He still does so for us today.
Consider the power of a friend’s encouraging words. Think about how meaningful it is when an unexpected blessing seems to fall from heaven right at your darkest moment. Ponder the impact of reading a reassuring verse when you most need it. These are not “happy accidents”—rather, they are precious confidence builders from God.
Our challenge is simply to remember the times in the past when our loving Father has encouraged us. Standing on the evidence of His faithfulness, we can boldly face the future, knowing that we are not alone.
As inhabitants of a fallen world, we will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. But as children of God, we are never beyond reach of the Lord’s empowering encouragement.
