Day 8 – Prayer of Intercession for the One Relationship

“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.” (1 Samuel 12:23, NIV)

If there was ever a verse to give you hope, it's this one! Is anything too hard for God? Is anything impossible for him to accomplish? He is all-knowing, he is always present, and his power is always sufficient. In fact, it's more than sufficient, because he can do immeasurably more than all you can ask or imagine.

So what breakthrough are you asking God for? What are you asking God to do in you? And what are you imagining God can do through you? He is able to exceed your expectations. But remember, it is "according to his power that is at work within you."

Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing," but the Bible also says you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. It is his power, through the presence of his Spirit, working through your talents and abilities, that will accomplish more than you could ask for or imagine on your own.

Whatever you're facing, whatever you're praying for, remember this: God is all-knowing in your challenge. God is always present in your situation. God is all-powerful in your crisis.

And because his power is at work in you, he will be the Comforter through you when someone is in pain or grief; he will be the Provider through you when someone is in need; he will be the Counselor through you when someone needs wisdom; he will be the source of hope, peace, and joy through you to others.

As you pray today, pray this way: Ask God to fill you in a fresh way with the power of the Holy Spirit so that by his power at work in you, he can exceed your expectationsWelcome back to week two of Praying for Breakthrough. This week we will begin focusing our prayers on the important relationships around us. I love this prayer from Samuel in the Old Testament because it's a personal prayer. For years Samuel has been serving as a leader to the people of God, and he recognizes that one of his primary roles is to pray for the people he is leading.

There is a power in persistent prayers for the people around you that God has called you to love. For most of us, there will be immediate family members, roommates, or close coworkers who God will bring to mind this week as we pray for relational breakthrough.

To start today, think of a relationship in your life that is not what it's supposed to be. It might be a strained relationship with a distant family member, or it could be a challenge at home with a spouse or coworker that is driving you crazy.

Think of all the times you tried to change that person or change that relationship. How has that worked for you? My guess, based on my own experience, is not well. My attempts to bring transformation apart from God's help usually end up making things worse.

What if, instead of trying with our own power, we asked God for help? Take a moment now and ask God to show you one relationship to pray for this week. Who is that person? Now, go ahead and write that name down somewhere so you'll remember it.

As we pray, I'm going to encourage you to pray for three specific things:

1. Pray for that person. Ask God to bless them and work in their life. Ask God to reveal himself and bring the kind of change he wants to bring to that person.
2. Pray for the relationship. You may even ask God to help you find favor in this person's eyes. Pray for a breakthrough in the relationship.
3. Pray for yourself. Ask God to show you where you might need to change in the way you are relating to this person.

I'm praying you experience a breakthrough, and that God brings transformation to your relationships. If you have any stories that come out of these prayers, I would love to hear them. You can write me at pastorandy@saddleback.com. Praying for you today!

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