James 5:16:
…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
As members of the Body of Christ, part of our sufficiency in Christ Jesus is that we can pray effectually for one another. The specific prayers that we request of God for one another have mighty, prevailing power.
In Acts 12 when Peter was arrested and put in prison, the believers prayed for him.
Acts 12:5:
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
And look at the mighty results:
Acts 12:7-11:
And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
And he went out, and followed him; and wist [knew] not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews [Judeans].
Those prevailing prayers contributed to Peter’s complete sufficiency in this situation.
In the Church Epistles, God had the Apostle Paul record his prayers for the believers. In these prayers, we see his great heart for God’s people. What an encouragement for us today to continue to be fervent in our prayers for one another.
Romans 1:9-11:
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of [pertaining to] his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established.
Ephesians 1:15-17:
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith [believing] in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
Philippians 1:3-5:
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.
Colossians 1:3,9:
We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, 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.
I Thessalonians 3:10:
Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith [believing].
II Thessalonians 1:11:
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.
Did you notice the words used to describe how often he prayed? “Without ceasing,” “always,” “cease not,” “upon every remembrance,” and “night and day.” What a powerful example of how we can care for one another by way of prayer!
In another aspect of prayer, Paul as a teacher of God’s Word and as a spiritual leader, exhorted the believers to pray for him as well.
Romans 15:30-32:
Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;
That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.
Ephesians 6:18-20:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Colossians 4:2,3:
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds.
I Thessalonians 5:25:
Brethren, pray for us.
II Thessalonians 3:1:
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.
I Timothy 2 provides further direction for our prayers by exhorting us to pray for “all men.”
I Timothy 2:1,2:
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Let’s continue to claim God’s sufficiency for ourselves and one another by remembering this tremendous avenue of power we have available to us—prayer for one another and for all people.