This is the Truth Network. Encouraging prayer. God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything. On Encouraging Prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray.
And now, here's James.
Well, it would seem somewhat appropriate that today's episode of Encouraging Prayer is how to pray for hurting friends and Wow, this is something we all run into quite a bit, James.
Well, and speaking of being run into, Robbie, I think that's a good place for us to start.
Some of our listeners may not know that Robbie and his dear wife, Tammy, were in a very serious car accident. Oh my goodness, just within the past two weeks. And both of them required surgery and You know, I'll never forget when I got that call and how it made me feel, and how my first inclination was. To pray for you and for Tammy. And I prayed through the day, and this is one of the things that I think is so good to talk about.
And I kind of want to dedicate today's episode to a listener in Ohio by the name of Mike. Who found out by listening to the station about or to the network about how you had been in an accident. And he said, you know, you might consider doing an episode about how to pray at a time like this. And it was so of the spirit because I'd already been planning on doing it. And also, interestingly, and this kind of starts the first point.
Yeah. The day that you were in the wreck. Mike had this sense that he needed to pray for you. And he didn't know why. But He started to pray for you and then found out a couple of days later about the wreck.
And that's really the first point. And that is. to let the Holy Spirit lead you. as you pray because No one has compassion like our God, and he can lead us into compassion and direct our hearts and minds to help us pray for hurting friends.
So just start by asking. Lord, how do you want me to pray? I think that's a good place to start. That's so powerful. And Mike is such a...
You know, somebody that It's an integral part of his life. And you just sense that from talking to him. That he is led by the spirit, and what a gift, right? To have friends. like that.
It's just like. What a gift to have friends like you and other friends that God have given me. Um He clearly protected us through all of this. And it's such a beautiful thing to see how God saves you through the fire sometimes, right? Yeah.
Well, I've done a lot of talking here to start, so I'd like to ask you, Robbie.
So, Robbie, I would like to ask you, because I've done a lot of the talking already, how would you like? us to pray for you, you know, just and what advice do you have? for people who are praying for hurting friends.
Well, something that God has really shown me in this particular season. better you know i've had a few of these seasons in my life those people who know me That he is, he's up to something. He allows things in our lives that seem. crazy at the time. But when I look at the blessings that have come, especially within my family.
Like I haven't felt so close to my family. Literally, probably in years. And so I think one of the neat things that That I think I learned that I will pray for people is: I think God didn't go, oops, Robbie was in an accident. I mean, that isn't at all what happened. that there are purposes.
that we don't ever maybe understand. But in the future, I'm going to pray. God, do what you are doing. It's going to be beautiful. I don't know where.
But you know i want to i want to align with your spirit in in the family of my friend that's going through this right now that you would do the work and that my friend would see the work. And see your hand in it. Right. I think that's a really good prayer that, you know, that you would see the work, that you'd sense something of it in spite of all the pain and all of the difficulty of the circumstances. You know, just that, and the Lord does that.
He does draw near in those times. And it's so difficult to explain because unless you've been through them, you don't know. It just sounds like a platitude. You don't know how to encounter that. But I think that's a great approach.
So, as we pray for you and Tammy, I know we're praying for healing. Uh, obviously, uh, and we also need to pray for another car, um, and uh. And again, that we will see God's hand and all of what he has for us in this season, what he has for our family, what he has for our church. Right, because it affects everybody around you. It clearly just isn't something that happens to you as an individual.
And I think that's always the case. Yeah, that's really true. And, you know, this is one of the things I think is so important to understand when you're talking about this affecting so many people. We all are connected in the body of Christ through the Spirit. And the Spirit will prompt us and help us pray, just like He did Mike in that instance.
But You know, this is one of the best ways we can love each other. And, you know, because we might think, well, I don't know what to do. What can I do? But we really can pray. And we can take that concern and that love and Place it before the Father, and again, it's so important.
So You know, I'd encourage our listeners to just love each other with their prayers and also to be faithful in them. Because, you know, for example, when you're praying for healing, one of the things we found is that is that sometimes you need to pray again and again.
So keep coming back to the Father.
Well, I prayed about Robbie yesterday.
Well, there's more stuff to pray about today, you know? And just keep coming before him. And again, ask him. to help you pray. This would be a good time to pray.
Well, let me do that. That'd be great. All right. Lord, I thank you for friends like James and the friends that are out there right now that I. I appreciate that their ears perked up because they love to pray for their friends.
And I pray that you would have given them through this something that will. Give them a hunger to push into their relationship with you and their friends. As what a unique way you gave us to do this, to actually intercede. Those people that we love. And we thank you that you put that love in us and you gave us your spirit to guide us.
And I thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. And before we hang up on that amen, well, we never hang up, but Father, please just bless. Robbie and Tammy, with your healing, with your comfort, with your strength, with your provision, with your wisdom for each day. and we will praise you for it together.
In Jesus' name. Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.
