Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all people.

(I Timothy 2:1 NIV)

A mom was driving with her five-year-old son one afternoon when they passed a fender bender on the side of the road. It was their family habit to pray whenever they saw an accident, so she pointed toward the cars and said, “We should pray.”

From the back seat came her son’s heartfelt plea: “Please, God, don’t let those cars block the entrance to McDonald’s.”

Honest?  Absolutely. Selfless?  Not so much.

But how many times have we prayed the same kind of prayer?  “Lord, fix my problems.”  “Lord, make my day easier.”  “Lord, make sure nothing interrupts what I have planned.”  So often, our prayers are wrapped up in our needs, our plans, and our comfort.

Meanwhile, all around us are people who are hurting, struggling, or desperately in need of someone to lift them up in prayer, and sometimes we don’t even notice.

Prayer is one of the greatest privileges God has given his children. But prayer isn’t about getting God to do what we want.  It’s about aligning our hearts with what he wants. It’s about seeing beyond our own little world and stepping into the needs of others.

Paul reminds us of this wider purpose in I Timothy 2:1: “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all people.” (NIV)

In other words, don’t just pray for yourself — pray for others.  Intercede for them.  Yes, God invites us to bring our burdens to him.  But we also get to come before the throne of grace on behalf of others. We can intercede for the hurting, the lost, the weary, the broken.

So, take a moment to shift your focus.  Think of a friend who’s struggling.  A neighbor who’s grieving.  A coworker who’s overwhelmed.  Pray for them.  Lift them up.  Ask God to meet their needs.

Because when our prayers become less about “God, don’t let anything block my plans” and more about “God, please bless someone else,” we start to pray the way God wants us to.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of prayer. Forgive me when I make it all about myself. Open my eyes to the needs of others and use my prayers to bless, encourage, and strengthen those around me.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day