I have prayed for you…

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. Luke 22:31

 

Crazy to think that Jesus engaged in a conversation of some sort with Satan about Peter’s steadfastness in faith. I’m reminded of Satan’s conversation with God about Job. It’s helpful not to forget that we have an enemy whose goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. It’s also important to remember that Satan’s hand can only reach us as far as Father God allows. He is a defeated enemy with limited power. But the Lord refines us by allowing Satan to tempt, try, and test us. The Lord leverages Satan’s schemes to grow our faith. I don’t always understand it. I don’t generally like it. But I believe it. I also believe that a key lesson the Lord wants us to grasp, is that He works on our behalf according to His will as we submit everything to God in prayer. 

This is an area of admitted weakness for me. My tendency is to step in and do something about the challenges I am confronted with, or that someone I love is facing. But Jesus reminds us over and over that prayer is crucial. If Jesus, omniscient and omnipotent, prayed faithfully and fervently, shouldn’t we (clearly not as wise or powerful as Christ), pray faithfully and fervently for ourselves and others? 

Paul wrote to the Ephesians to remind them that battles wagged are not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, authorities, and “...cosmic powers over the present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Still, we don’t battle alone. James reminds us that we can plug into the ultimate power source because effective prayer prevails (James 5:16b). For this reason, Peter made it a point to pray for his men. Paul prayed for his men. Jesus prayed for his men. Will you pray for your men?

 

effective prayers for your men

How can you begin to pray for the men God has brought into your circles?

• Identify the men in your life – men that are ahead of you, whose wisdom you appreciate and men that are behind you in life, who are dealing with challenges you’ve already navigated. Pray for them by name and for their specific concerns. Let them know you’re praying for them. 
• Ask some men around you how you can pray for them specifically. (I am always humbled by the significant prayer requests that men share with us on prayer cards at our conferences.) Every man is carrying some sort of burden that they are eager to share with someone when asked. Be the friend who asks. 

My sense is that Satan has his eye on me, you, and everyone around us “that he might sift us like wheat.” Let’s respond to his attack with Jesus as our model and be able to say to someone near, “but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” 

 

we’d love to pray for you! 

Send us your prayer requests to Noble Warriors. Email: office@noblewarriors.org 

 

looking for resources?

Here is a list of a few tools that might help:

1. Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney 
2. Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes
3. The Power of a Praying Husband by Stormie Omartian 
4. E.M Bounds on Prayer
5. It Happens After Prayer by H.B. Charles 
6. Noble Warriors Posts on prayer:
   1. Are You a Man of Prayer?
   2. Prayer is Not Optional