YouTube: Praying for Others
Last Sunday’s talk on The Prayer Principle sparked the very good question about praying for others. If prayer changes us, not God, how does praying for others work?
In the ministry of Jesus, we see many examples of healing. On several of these occasions he would tell people that their faith made them whole. This illustrates the importance of individual expectation. We can apply this to prayer, a visit to the doctor, a drug intended to accommodate healing, or even a placebo. Many improvements in health have been attributed to the placebo effect. When we say prayer changes us, not God, we are really saying that we are opening our mind and heart to the healing, prospering, balancing presence of God.
When you call or write to a prayer service like Silent Unity, something significant happens within you. Knowing others join you in your quest for a solution to a problem increases your expectation, or faith. You set in motion an energy level that bolsters your faith in a favorable outcome. In all likelihood, this has a direct and favorable impact on your body. If your prayer request involves unfavorable conditions in finances or relationships, your increased expectation also increases your awareness of opportunities you may otherwise miss.
Knowing others are praying for you and with you boosts your faith. Letting others know you are praying with them boosts their faith as well. I sometimes tell people that I will hold them in prayer at a specific time, and I’ll encourage them to join me at that time. This, I believe, is a good way to boost faith. Jesus said where two or more are gathered in my name, I will be there in the midst of them. He obviously understood the power of people praying for one another.
The important point is to remove all feelings of supernatural connections and communications with God. We are expressions of God and prayer is one way of affirming this truth. When you pray for another, release the negative energy you may hold and affirm the truth of who they are and what they are capable of expressing. We are not, in any way, praying to overcome God’s reluctance. We are affirming God’s presence. Simply telling someone you are holding them in the highest light is one of the most powerful prayers you can offer. Expressing your belief in them will bolster their belief in themselves. This is the faith that makes us whole.