To Christians, Why Do You Pray For Others?

Jesus taught us to pray for others.

Jesus is our one and only mediator. Intercession is different.

"Teach us how to pray," the disciples said to Jesus. (Luke 11, 1)

Jesus answered by teaching them the prayer we call the Our Father or The Lord's Prayer.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come,

thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give US this day OUR daily bread.

Forgive US OUR trespasses,

as WE forgive those who trespass against US.

And lead US not into temptation,

but deliver US from evil.

The entire second part of the Lord's prayer is intercessory prayer where we pray for ourselves and others (us, we, and our).

Christians praying for each other and the world is intercessory prayer and is accepted and practiced by all Christan denominations (that I know about).

Before Jesus Christ died for our sins and opened the gates of heaven there were no saints in heaven. Therefore there are no Old Testament writings that would mention them.

Very few of the new Christians died before most of the New Testament was written. Therefore there is little in the Bible about asking saints to pray for us.

However the last book of the Bible does talk about the saints in heaven praying.

Revelation 5:8: Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.

Revelation 8:3-4: He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.

The Holy Spirit guided the early Church in many things not explained in the Bible including how does the Body of Christ (believers) living on Earth relate to the Body of Christ (saints) living in heaven. We are still one Body.

Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist Churches.

The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.

Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints, you, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.

As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends living here on earth to pray for you. Or, you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother living in heaven to pray for you.

Prayer to saints in heaven is simple communication, not worship.

Asking others to pray for you whether your loved ones on Earth or your loved ones in heaven is always optional.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 946 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3a...

With love in Christ.

What a great question.

The Bible says Jesus lives to intercede for us, not Paul, not Mary or any "saint." From the old testament to the new, people prayed for each other. The Levites were set aside for prayer and service in the temple.

I belong to a prayer group and we consistently pray for others. Why? Becuase where two or more are gathered there He is also. If we stand in agreement with something then He will hear is. He will hear the single person as well.

Prayer is also one of the spiritual gifts that Paul speaks of.

And last but not least, Jesus prayed for others, so if He did it and He is our example, shouldn't we do it as well?

We pray (and I personally do) for all kinds of things. Things that people don't even ask, prayer for a city for example.

However, I will say that some people who pray for others ask for the wrong things! They don't understand a situation or perceive it wrong. So when someone asks me for prayer I try and get a grasp of the situation. Someone saying "well pray for me..." doesn't really cut if if I don't know what to ask for.

It is not a prayer of intercession, (in the case of RC Doctrines about saints, they are incorrect). This kind of prayer request in its original sense, is prayer with spiritual connection with the person concerned pleading through Jesus Christ eg In one of Paul's letters he says...

" And pray also for me, that God will give me a message when I am ready to speak, so that I may speak boldly and make known the gospel's secret." Eph 6:19

Here are some scriptural teachings that tell me it is God's will that I pray for others. Beyond this, I pray for the lost to be saved and for the peace of Jerusalem.

pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

we do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Brethren, pray for us.

brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have [free] course, and be glorified

Pray for us:

pray one for another

I apologize for not including all the reference verse locations.

I pray for opportunities to teach my neighbors and friends the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray for them that they will feel the Holy Spirit testify of the truthfulness of it. I pray for others who are sick because I love them and don't like to see them suffer. I pray for my wife and family to be safe and to feel the Holy Spirit in our home.

I pray for others because it is the Christian thing to do out of love. Also the Bible teaches us to pray for others. Jesus prayed for others so why shouldn't I pray for others. However, I do not pray for the others that are dead.

Because it's a scientifically proven that intent affects outcome

Great question. If others pray for you, then God is not the answerer of YOUR prayer. They are. That's not God's will. Go to God, and pray for yourself.

EDIT: But if others do the praying, then you have not prayed, therefore it is not your prayer. You have asked others to do YOUR work. If God answers, he answered theirs, not yours. They have stopped your prayer. Regardless of intent, you did not seek God out. They did.

SO that God may give them strenght and grace.