Pray For Your Friends!
We shall be looking at the benefits of praying for our friends in this write up and for the task; we shall take a look at Job 42:10. It says: ‘’And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends….’’
Job was a man who feared God and shunned evil. And as a result, God had explicit confidence in him to the extent that He allowed Satan to rattle him because He was cock sure that he would never be disloyal to Him. In the process, he (Job) lost everything he had except his life and some few friends whose comments about him were everything but kindly. Even then, he still found it fitting to pray for them and God blessed him vastly in return.
The bible says we should pray for each other (James 5:16) because there are benefits attached to doing so. For example, healing is one of them and in this case, it is not limited to restoration to good health alone. It connotes restoration to perfection in all areas of life. Job prayed for his friends and God restored his health back to perfection and gave him twice as much as he had earlier and blessed the latter part of his life more than the former. As if these were not enough, He also gave him the opportunity to live up to a respectable old age and to die peacefully. In short, God healed all aspects (physical, mental, marital, financial, material, etc) of his life (Job 42:10-17).
Friend, do you find time to pray for your friends? If you do, brilliant but if you don’t, you are just denying yourself of a lot of mouth watering benefits. When you pray for them, other people will pray for you too because ‘’…whatever a man sows, that he will also reap’’ (Galatians 6:7). Furthermore, Apostle Paul emphasised in 1Timothy 2:1-3 that praying for others, is both good and well acceptable to God. And in a situation like this, I cannot see how you will not be blessed if you engage in it.
Perhaps you have been praying for improvements in certain areas of your life until now and it seems you are getting no where; perhaps you need to change your tactics a little bit. Why don’t you consider praying for your friends and other people for a change? Job did and he was immensely blessed. You too will be blessed if you do same in Jesus name. Amen.
Finally, let me commit you into God’s able hands throughout this month and beyond and please endeavour to pray for your friends as much as you can. I will!
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Friends, Pray
Facts About HIV/AIDS
A few weeks ago, I read a report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, the highlights of which I will like to share with you today.
1. Number of people living with HIV/AIDS globally as at December 2003: Adults=37million, Children=2.5 million. 22.6 million (61%) of these people are living in sub-Saharan Africa.
2. Number of HIV/AIDS death in 2003=3million.
3. Number of AIDS orphans at the end of 2001=14million.
Source: UNAIDS (2003) AIDS epidemic report.
You will agree with me that the above statistics is very unsettling particularly as the situation is getting worse on daily basis. Friend, you may wish to remember that there is no known cure for this frightful disease and none is in sight. Unless there is divine intervention, our beautiful world may soon become overwhelmed with ill and dying people as well as millions of poor and helpless dependants of the deceased. Should we just fold our arms and do nothing? NO! I think we should do something concrete and quickly too. This is not the time for us to start trading blames and abuses. And definitely this is not the time for us to delve into the controversies surrounding the origin of HIV/AIDS. This is the time for us to pray! This is the request I am humbly putting before you today-please heed my call. Please kindly pause for a moment and join other people all over the world in sincerely saying the prayer below.
‘’ Dear Lord,
Help us to accept the challenges of AIDS
Protect the healthy, calm the frightened and give courage to those in pains,
Comfort the dying and give eternal rest to the dead
Console the bereaved and strengthen those who care for the sick
May we O Lord, trusting in your love, be united in conquering all diseases and fear
These and more we ask in Jesus name. Amen’’.
Thank you. Please as much as you can this month, kindly remember to pray for all HIV/AIDS patients and their relatives; they need us more than ever before and I believe God will reward you hugely in Jesus name. Amen.
Finally, let me commit you into God’s hands as I wish you a month of divine solution.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: HIV/AIDS, Pray, Prayer