Questions and Answers | Meaningful Prayer
How can I pray for others when I am being bombarded by persistent temptations in my own life?
Years ago, I heard about a man on the West Coast who was leading many others to Christ from some very difficult backgrounds. He told them that after they had become Christians they would be tempted to go back to their previous wrong choices. However, he also gave them an advice to prepare them. I have shared this advice with thousands of people, and it is something that helps me every day of my life.
First, write down your most persistent temptation. Second, ask God to give you a strategic prayer that you can pray whenever you experience this temptation. Let it be a prayer request that, when answered, will damage Satan’s kingdom.
For example, what if every time a mother or father was tempted to have an impure thought, they prayed for the purity of their children? What if every time you were tempted to be discouraged and even despair, you prayed for encouragement and hope to flood the hearts of your spiritual leaders? The key is to use your temptation to do the wrong thing to become the motivation to do the godly thing. You can easily tire in saying “no” to a persistent temptation if you are not also saying “yes” to something else.
The key is to ask God what He wants you to pray. It should be the prayer burden that He gives you. As you turn your temptation into meaningful intercession, you will find yourself engaging in true prayer. If you and I had devised prayer, we would have probably designed it in a way that we could pray from our pride. A spirit of pride looks down on others and does not identify with their needs (Luke 18:9–12). A spirit of humility realizes one’s own weakness, and God’s merciful compassion flows to the person and through him to others (Luke 18:13–14). Temptation enables you to feel the need of others and be prompted to intercede for them. In Psalm 27:8 David says, “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
Realize that in your persistent temptation God is calling you to seek Him. Turn these temptations into conversation with Him and intercession for others. Let God give you His prayer burdens for you, and let your temptations be the reminders to pray for them.
BY Bill Thrasher
Dr. Bill Thrasher is lead faculty member at Moody Theological Seminary’s Spiritual Formation and Discipleship program. Dr. Thrasher is a frequent speaker at churches and retreats across the country. His books include Living the Life God has Planned: A Guide to Knowing God's Will, A Journey to Victorious Praying: Finding Discipline and Delight in Your Prayer Life, Believing God for His Best: How to Marry Contentment and Singleness, How to Resurrect a Dead Prayer Life, and God As He Wants You to Know Him. Bill and his wife, Penny, have three sons: Will, Michael, and David.