I got your back - you got mine?

Here are my directions: Pray much for others; plead for God’s mercy upon them; give thanks for all he is going to do for them. Pray in this way for kings and all others who are in authority over us, or are in places of high responsibility, so that we can live in peace and quietness, spending our time in godly living and thinking much about the Lord. (1 Timothy 2:1-2 TLB)

How much are we praying for others? How often are we pleading to God on their behalf - for his mercies, blessings, and provisions? Pleading is more than just "asking" God to bless them or keep them safe on their journey. Pleading suggests we are earnest in our appeal - we make every effort that we can to ensure their "case" is heard by God. In other words, we pray and don't let up until God intervenes on their behalf.

There are times I see appeals on my social feed that tell me someone has a need - whether spiritual, financial, relational, or emotional - they are asking for those of us who see their post to "take on" their need. While God doesn't expect us to always be in the position to "meet" their need, he does expect us to make an appeal to him on their behalf until that need is met. If it might be within our means to meet it, then maybe he has shown us that post because he has placed us in their life at that moment to meet that need.

To be truthful, there are also times I hear things, see them, or just know something is not going well for someone. Then I do a half-hearted appeal before God's throne on their behalf - not going to lie here, because my honesty may help us here. I find myself lifting up a brief prayer and almost without noticing it, I forget their need exists. Life goes on and I forget because other things come in and "cloud" that need from my focus. I don't think I am alone here on this one, so how do we do as our scripture says - praying much for each other and pleading each other's case before God?

I think this is why God gives us community - so we have each other's back on this one. When our focus gets clouded by some other things that come our way, another steps up to take the helm of prayer for a while, until our focus gets clarified again. While I might want to be this "super-prayer-warrior" who never takes her eye off the ball, I am not! I will pray for you, but we need each other's back on this one because none of us does this entirely well ALL of the time. Just sayin!