What do you pray for?

After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job's prayer. After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:7-10 NIV84)

I pray for people a lot.  It's not just because I'm a pastor now.  It's because I believe in the power of prayer.  When we pray, we invite God to act.  Since I'm in awe of God, that's a pretty big request I'm making.  I encourage you to do the same.

The question is this, "What do you pray for?"

Usually we give God a shopping list of things we want Him to give us, but there are prayers He has already told us He will answer with a resounding, "Yes!"  One of them is a prayer for forgiveness.

This may sound strange, but it's a prayer-pattern you find throughout the pages of Scripture.

Job prayed for the men who sinned against him, and God accepted that prayer.  (See Above)

Jesus told his disciples they have the power to forgive. (John 20:22-23)

Jesus even lived this out by praying for the forgiveness of those who crucified him. (Luke 23:34)

The pattern is clear.  We should pray and ask God to forgive those who sin against us.  At the same time, we forgive them ourselves.

This seems difficult, even impossible at times.  But He already gave us the power of His Spirit so we can anything He calls us to do.  He also tells us that our forgiveness is directly connected to our willingness to forgive.

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:14-15 NIV84)

Don't forgive them.  You are fighting with God.

Forgive them.  You have peace with God.

Notice what happened to Job.  He was restored to beyond his former greatness after he was faithful and after he prayed for the forgiveness of his "friends."

Notice what happened to Jesus.  He was resurrected from the dead after he was faithful and after he prayed for the forgiveness of his "friends."

Notice what happens to you.  You are restored to peace with God after you are faithful and after you pray for the forgiveness of your "friends."

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16 NIV84)

So, the next time you're praying for someone who cut you off in traffic, took that last item you wanted at the store, or wronged you in any other way; think before you pray.  Don't pray for them to change.  Don't pray for them to get what's coming to them.  Pray for their forgiveness.  It will make all the difference in the world.