Influencing Like Jesus -- Principle 1: Pray for Change

Principle 1: Pray for Change

An Excerpt from Influencing Like Jesus

The Concept

God influences people and circumstances through us, but He wants us to seek his assistance -- that is, to pray -- and to co-labor with Him to effect change.

An Excerpt from Influencing Like Jesus

Prayer changes things. It’s the starting point for influence. We shouldn’t go charging ahead independently and self-sufficiently, but instead, co-labor with God to persuade people. After all, it’s God who does the changing. We’re merely the instrument He’s using to effect the change.

In fact, scripture says that “in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6). In everything. That includes our attempts to influence people and circumstances. And it’s modeled throughout the Bible. There are countless examples.

Moses prayed for change. When God had heard enough complaining from His people, He sent fire to surround their camp. But Moses “prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down” (Numbers 11:2).

The prophets prayed for change. A lot. Jeremiah prayed so much that one time, God even insisted that he stop interceding for the people of Judah, apparently so that God’s plans would go forward! (Jeremiah 7:16).

The psalmists prayed for change—to be restored in their relationship with God (e.g., Psalm 51), to be healed (e.g., Psalm 6), for safety (e.g., Psalm, 57), and even that God would strike down their enemies (e.g., Psalm 109).

Jesus’ brother James tells us directly to pray for change, explaining that “you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2) and that a prayer offered in faith can make a sick person well (James 5:13-15).

Most instructively, Jesus himself teaches us to pray for change. He says “Keep asking, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). He tells his disciples “Anything you ask of the Father in my name, he will give you” (John 16:23b). He modeled the principle, too, praying that God would transform us into the kind of people who would draw many to Him (John 17:21).

All of these prayers—and so many others in the Bible—are prayers to influence people and circumstances. Indeed, prayer changes things. But here’s the problem: if it’s so clear that prayer changes things, and if so many of us Christians desire change in ourselves and others, why do so few Christians have a healthy and active prayer life?

Digging Deeper:

Examples and Resources

Some Great Books on Prayer

Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home by Richard Foster
Prayer: Does it Make any Difference? by Philip Yancey (read chapter one here)
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God by Dallas Willard
Gratefulness: The Heart of Prayer by David Steindl-Rast
Intercessory Prayer: How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth by Dutch Sheets
Too Busy Not to Pray by Bill Hybels
Praying God's Word by Beth Moore
Understanding The Purpose & Power Of Prayer by Myles Munroe

The National Day of Prayer Task Force

The National Day of Prayer Task Force's mission is to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, mobilizing the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership in the five centers of power: Church, Education, Family, Government and Media.

Click here to visit the web site

An Off-Road Racing Ad: Deep down, we recognize that sometimes, prayer is our only hope

Pray in Confidence That God Will Intervene

"Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord."

James 1:5-7

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