For Whom Shall I Pray?

How many times have you been sitting in a church and heard the minister say that we should pray for other people? I've heard it lots of times. But just who are these other people he or she is talking about?

Are they people you know or people you don't know? Maybe for you, all of Hollywood is going to Hell in a handbasket, or maybe for you, it's all of those atheists and agnostics and anybody else who isn't a bible carryin' Christian, who are going to burn for eternity, if YOU don't step in and do something.

Matthew 5:43-44 says:

'You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Have you ever felt persecuted for your beliefs? Have you ever felt compelled to do something to help all those people who are blind to the reality of Hell?

What can you do? You can pray for them. Seems harmless enough right? I mean you're only looking out for their best interests right? They don't know the kind of spiritual peril they're in, because they haven't received the Holy Spirit!

So the question becomes: when does praying for another person become invasive? It depends, in my opinion. Does the person you're praying for, know you're praying for them? If they don't and you're praying for them behind their back, it could be seen as being invasive. Because you're essentially saying that the person in question doesn't know what they need. That what they believe or don't believe is not valid because it doesn't gel with what you've been told in church. Essentially, you're acting on their behalf without their permission.

Who's voice are we listening to when we pray for someone in this way? Is it the voice of God or are we listening to a pastor in a pulpit somewhere, who just wants to see those pews filled or are we listening to our own ego?

The way I see it is this, by praying for someone to receive the Holy Spirit in their lives you may be questioning God. Suppose God is keeping them blind to the truth for a reason only He knows about. Who are we to then step in and say to God, that we know better than He does what the prayer recipient needs? No one can hear or receive the truth unless God draws them.

I think we need to let God handle it. We are a part of His plan, He is not a part of ours. We have to remember where we fall in the chain of command. We're low man on the totem pole, so to speak.

We have to get rid of this "win one more for the Kingdom" mantra and let the Holy Spirit draw people to God. If we tell the people we witness to that we will pray for them and then shove some tracts into their hands, aren't we really saying we will prey on them. I mean we have just told them that they don't know what they're talking about, that their opinion or belief is not valid? Do we really think that by saying "here take these tracts and you'll understand everything, because you're clearly being confused by the devil," is going to show the the love and compassion of Christ? I think it will just reinforce their already existing attitude of Christians know it all and know how everybody else is supposed to live.

It's the ultimate sign of disrespect. At this point you're not trying to "save" anyone, that's the Holy Spirit's job by the way, you're just trying to get a warm body into a cold pew.

We can't question God on His plans for others. Maybe God is keeping them blind to show US something rather than to show them something. Maybe he's telling us that He is in charge, not us. He will draw those whom He has chosen, not who we think need to be chosen.