Building One Another

PRAYER PARTNER Vol 9 No 4

January 26, 2010

Dear Friend,

One of the most encouraging spiritual disciplines available to us all is the idea of a prayer partner.

A wonderful way to experience this is to ask someone you know to join you in praying a two-part prayer for each other every day for thirty days.

First, pray for each other using one of the many prayers and Psalms found in Scripture.

A great one to use is the prayer of the Apostle Paul for the people in the Colossian Church in Colossians 1:9-12.  Where Paul writes “we” or “you” simply put your name and the name of your prayer partner.  For example, if you were going to pray for a person named Marty:

For this reason, since the day we [Marty and I] heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you [Marty and I] may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you [Marty and I] may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you [we] bear fruit in every good work and as you [we] grow in the knowledge of God. May you [Marty and I] be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you [we] be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you [Marty and I] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. Colossians 1:9-12*

Second, pray for each other according to your needs and requests – prayers for guidance, health and healing, wisdom, for each other’s work, loved ones and other expressed concerns.

Another way to use the prayer partner concept is with any group, committee, board or ministry team you are a part of.  At the end of every meeting simply pair off and agree to be prayer partners using the two-part prayer described above. Pray for each other daily until the group meets again and at the end of the meeting pair off with a different partner.  Over time you will have the joy of a personal prayer relationship with many other people.

With joy - E. Stanley Ott

Copyright 2010 E. Stanley Ott

*Scripture from the NRSV