I often have friends ask me to pray for them in matters pertaining to their personal lives. One friend even stops me in the street whenever he sees me and asks me to pray for him right then and there! I like to pray for people as it releases God’s power into their lives and situations. Intercessory prayer also benefits me as it exercises my faith in God and helps keep me connected with Him. Jesus said, “If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:19–20).
While it is good to ask others for prayer, every Christian should also have a vibrant personal connection with the Lord. We have a mediator, Jesus Christ, who intercedes with the Father on our behalf (1 Timothy 2:5). As God’s children, we can each approach the throne of God with confidence and receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Through Jesus’ sacrifice we have been given the privilege of entering the very presence of God. At the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross, the curtain which separated the holy place from the innermost sanctuary in the temple was torn in two (Matthew 27:51). Under the Old Covenant only the high priest could enter the inner sanctuary; it was forbidden for others to enter. Now, through Jesus, the high priest of the New Covenant, anyone who believes in Him has access to the holy of holies of God’s true temple in heaven. All believers are together “a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5 NIV).
So, while I reassure my friends that I will indeed pray for them, I also encourage them to draw close to the throne of God through prayer. Jesus said that great miracles are possible through faith the size of a tiny mustard seed (Matthew 17:20), and all things are possible for those who believe (Mark 9:23). The Bible also says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). When we stir ourselves up and pour out our hearts to God, He hears us and answers our prayers as He knows is best.