Praying for Each Others' Faith

2/28/2023

Ever had pain or sickness or serious painful trial?

Can you imagine someone saying, “I’ll be praying for you.” Yes?

Ok. Fine. But imagine this instead, and what the difference would be: “I’ll pray for your faith throughout.”

Would that work for you? Others praying for your FAITH, instead of for your child’s healing, or your healing? Someone praying for your FAITH, instead of for your crisis or money or job or relationship issue? Could you rewire your brain and emotions and understanding so that you would LOVE that prayer instead of a prayer necessarily for “healing”?

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your FAITH should not fail; and when you have RETURNED to Me, STRENGTHEN your brethren.”

ἐπιστρέφω
(1) to return to a point or area where one has been before, with probable emphasis on turning about - to return to, to go back to.
ἐπέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν
they returned to Galilee LUK.2:39.

στηρίζω stērizō;
from a presumed derivative of 2476 (like 4731);
to set fast, i.e. (literally) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (figuratively) to confirm:—fix, (e-)stablish, stedfastly set, strengthen.
AV (13) - stablish 6, establish 3, strengthen 2, fix 1, stedfastly set 1;
to make stable, place firmly, set fast, fixto strengthen, make firm. literally, as setting up something so that it remains immovable fix (firmly).

Oftentimes, it is our FAITH that needs refined and strengthened and educated, not our problem that needs solved. And when THAT is our Path, maybe the VALUE of the moment is multiplied by our Growth and Ability to strengthen others, for years and decades to come. Often THAT Faith growth and the contagion of STRENGTH is more a nail in Satan’s coffin than taking away his attack of our health or our comfort.

What do YOU mean when you say to someone, “I’ll pray for you?” What do you WANT them to mean when they say that to you? Removal of the pain or obstacle or situation or crisis? Or,

“I have prayed for you, that your FAITH should not fail; and when you have RETURNED to Me, STRENGTHEN your brethren.”