How to Pray for Others
1981 Flashback The Rev. John Gayner Banks
The Rev. John Gayner Banks and his wife Ethel established the International Order of St. Luke the Physician. A collection of his lectures from healing missions are featured in his book “Healing Everywhere.” This article is from one these lectures and it appeared in the January, 1981 issue of Sharing magazine.
The promises of God are always “yes,” but we have not learned to tune into them so we think they may be “no” for us. Sometimes when we turn to God in prayer, it is with the attitude: “Eenie, meenie, miney, mo! It might be ‘yes’ and it might be ‘no’!”
But God’s Word is always yes! You are dealing with the Mind of God which is positive and affirmative. It is what is contrary to that Mind which is “no!” if you are thinking thoughts that are not in harmony with God, then of course, you create a “no.”
To pray well is to think with God and to allow the pure truth of God to correct all the wrongs in our conscience. We need the clear vision and the clear speaking of the Son of Man. We must immerse ourselves in, saturate ourselves with the saying of Jesus, live on them day by day, absorb them; then we shall have power to pray and power to heal and power to solve the problems of everyday life. The disciple is disciplined by the words of the Master. Discipline is the process of becoming a disciple and it takes perseverance, persistence, and intelligent indoctrination in the teaching of Jesus. “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.”
Jesus said, “And ye shall make you free” (John 8:32). The truth of the past part of that statement of our Lord depends upon our acceptance of the truth in the first part. We speak of lots of truth but we spoil it by negative ideas. We “think evil” in our hearts, almost without knowing it, and thereby we dilute the power and efficacy of the truth which we really do believe. If we could learn to think with God, we’d get well. When we think evil in our hearts, our bodies respond. If you ever want to do successful work in healing or in intercession of in ministering to those who are mentally or physically ill, you must learn to think with Jesus.
An intercessor is one who prays with others. Intercession is really an advanced form of prayer, and it is not an easy thing to do. It is greatly needed and every disciple of Jesus should become an intercessor – but do not take it too lightly. Someone says, “Will you pray for Harry? He’s having a very bad time!” Or a woman friend of yours, Emily, has had an automobile accident. She is not in danger of losing her life, but she is considerably crippled and needs much hospital care. You are asked to pray for Emily. Or you have a son in the Army. He is drinking too much and living a rather wild life. You’ve heard about it and you are worried about it. His name is Tom.
Now, stop for a moment and ask yourself just what you are going to say to God. Are you going to tell God that Harry is having a bad time? God knows much more about it than you do, you don’t have to inform Him. How will you actually represent Harry in your prayer to God, being sincere and straightforward in your words, an yet with the object of doing Harry some good.
Will you tell God all about Emily’s accident? He knows the facts. You do not have to relate them to Him. How do you bring the virtues, the resources of God, the love of Christ, the healing power of the Holy Spirit to Emily, the victim of this accident? Or, take your son. Would you go to God and say, “Tom is getting rather wild, a bit out of hand. He is drinking too much and in the wrong kind of company, O God, can You do something about it?” You could pray that way, of course, but it would not be an ideal intercession.
This technique has helped me immeasurably and it may help you. There are many methods of intercession; this is not the only one. First, get quiet. This might take two or three minutes. Rushing into God’s Presence is not the ideal way. Say something like this to Him: “O God, take these few minutes if my time and accept my desire to help these, Thy servants.”
The Keynote of prayer is this opening quietness: “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” We reverse the order many times and say, “Listen, Lord, for Thy servant speaketh.” Offer your love, your will your time (perhaps fifteen minutes or more), our imagination to God on behalf of those for whom you pray. Put some sacrifice into it.
Now, the second step is to get the sense of God as Light. If you are in a chapel or church, look toward the altar or the cross on the altar. This helps to focus your attention Godward. If you are in some other place, close your eyes and think of God in terms of Light. His purpose is always full of light. God is Light and in Him there is no darkness at all. Into that light bring Tom, Harry, Emily of the person you are praying for. Don’t ask of God anything, don’t tell Him anything; don’t beg Him for anything. Just bring the person in thought and imagination and lift him in that light. You are looking away from self and into the Love of God.
One great danger in intercessory prayer is the tendency to concentrate on the sick or troubled person. You must look away from the trouble. Look away from the disease of the problem and look up to God. “Thy will be done on earth – here and now – as it is being done in Heaven.” If you make this your habitual attitude, you will see a change in your friend. You do this by an act of your will. You HOLD HIM IN GODS PRESENCE. Or, if you wish to express it in a different way, you bring your friend by prayer in the Presence of Jesus that God may take care of him. “Hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reighneth.” (Revelations 19:6). God id good and only Good – and the only authentic picture we see of God is in Jesus Christ. The God we worship is the God Jesus preached.
Your next step is to try to see the person as God wants him to be. That is not exactly easy. You may have to take an intermediate step. See him as you would like him to be. Get a mental picture of him at his best. You still do not need to ask God. Deep prayer is communion between you and God. This will be a quiet exercise for your imagination. With His help, it becomes creative. See Tom cured of his addictions. See Emily recuperating in the hospital. See the nurses, the doctors the physiotherapists as agents of God’s healing power restoring her to health. See God working, bringing perfection out of imperfection, order out of disorder, ease out of dis-ease, peace out of turbulence.
Now, take an additional step. Identify your desire for that person with God’s desire. “O God, I identify my will for Emily’s recovery with Your will for Emily’s recovery. I identify my desire for Tom with Your desire for his complete wholeness, complete control. I identify my wish for Harry’s recovery with Your perfect will for his health.
Now sum up your prayer in an act of Thanksgiving. Give thanks because you know that the work of god is being done. “Into Thy hands, O Lord, commit this, Thy child, and I leave him in your Presence and I thank you for the Light of Healing Power that is shining upon him or upon he at this moment.
You need not repeat this whole procedure everyday-but you do just keep them committed Hold them in the light consciously You might say, “O Lord, I leave Emily in your Presence, and I thank you for the benefits she has received in just this last day and night.” Something like that. You need follow no set form. Be natural about it. Use your own words.
Then, it is good to have some contact with the person you are praying for. Bring them a little help. Increase their morale by saying a word of encouragement to life them up a bit. Take them a little pamphlet. There are good ones. Add to your prayer this persona ministry.
Don’t try to include too many people in you intercessions just at first. It is better to start with one than with sixteen. As you grow in intercession, God will lay people on your heart from time to time. When such an urge comes don’t put it off. Just learn to keep looking Godward and taking people with you.