EVER INTERCEDING Praying the Blessing BY DIANA BROWN
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o you desire to pray effectively over your loved ones? Do you hear others pray these long, articulate prayers and wonder if their prayers are better? Thankfully, praying over someone is uncomplicated and no articulateness is necessary. Remember one simple truth: when you pray over someone, you are ever interceding, or pleading, on their behalf. When you intercede, you are placing yourself between the other person and God, pleading to God on their behalf. That is a significant place to be. If you want to take your prayer life up a level, I encourage you to pray scripture over the matter of your prayers. God’s Word is powerful. Through His Word, He created the world. He said the simple words, “Let there be light,” and light appeared. So it was with the rest of creation. The power of his Word is echoed in Isaiah 55:11, (ESV) “...so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” There is power in His words, and thankfully we can use those words in our prayers.
In the book, “The Blessing,” Gary Smalley and John Trent teach us how to pray God’s blessing over our loved ones and friends. It is a blessing for us to bless others and IF YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR PRAYER LIFE fulfill the biblical admonition to “let your speech always UP A LEVEL, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PRAY be gracious” (Colossians 4:6 ESV) and to “encourage one SCRIPTURE OVER THE MATTER OF YOUR another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 PRAYERS. GOD’S WORD IS POWERFUL. ESV). Along with the honor of interceding for others, it is especially powerful to pray specific “blessing prayers” from Scripture over our loved ones, friends, church family and, yes, even our “enemies.” Not only has God commanded us to pray for others, but He has also given us numerous ways to do so that please His heart and align with His kingdom purposes.
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