Editorial – Prayer Calendar

What are you praying for this year? Often our prayers tend to be quite self-centered. We pray for healing from a physical or emotional problem or for a better financial situation or some other personal desire. But if we are going to become Christlike, we must ask ourselves, “How did Jesus pray?” It is true that He prayed for Himself, but even these prayers were so that He could gain the victory over His temptations and win the right to give eternal life to you and me. When Jesus prayed, it was for the benefit of others. (See John 17.)

Below is a list of a few things that we should be praying for this year.

  1. Although we should pray for all men (I Timothy 2:1), we should especially pray for “kings and all who are in authority.” I Timothy 2:2. Some people seem to be so busy making judgments about the government that prayer for our leaders is far from their minds. We cannot be criticizing and deriding government and praying for those very same people simultaneously, can we? Christians are to be praying for all those burdened with the responsibility of governing. This would include all legislators, judges, juries, and leaders of government services.
  2. We should pray for our enemies and those who spitefully use us. (Luke 6:27, 28.) It is true that in the final generation the devil is going to deceive the whole world (Revelation 12:9; 14:13, 14; 16:13, 14; 18:23), but vengeance is not our job. Our job for those who persecute us and attempt to destroy us is to pray for them—that God perhaps might grant them repentance so that they might know the truth and escape from the snare of the devil.
    (II Timothy 2:25, 26.)
  3. Pray for every person who is attempting to communicate the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19; Hebrews 13:18.)
  4. Pray for professed Christians who do not yet give evidence that they are converted. (Luke 22:31, 32.)
  5. Pray for more gospel workers. (Matthew 10:37, 38.)
  6. Pray for mercy. (Luke 18:13.)
  7. Pray that you will not fall into temptation. (Luke 22:40.)
  8. Pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 11:13.)
  9. Pray for God’s professed people and for those whom you know individually. (II Thessalonians 1:11; James 5:16.)