Praying for One Another
As we gather to pray in teams on this Global Day of Prayer, let’s begin by savoring together the gifts that were given to us through the solitude guide, The God Who Sees. Read together the excerpt below, then spend a few moments reflecting together and praying for one another before we begin to intercede on behalf of the larger mission.
In Genesis 16 we read of a time where God receives a name from one of his beloved children, an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. She’s the victim of an impetuous plan by her owners, Sarai and Abram (later famously known as Sarah and Abraham), to produce for them a child. In their minds God has been slow in keeping his promise to make Abram the father of many nations. Hagar indeed becomes pregnant by Abram, begins to despise her mistress, and is mistreated by Sarai for it.
Now on the run from her cruel mistress, Hagar is afraid, exhausted, and without a plan. But she is not alone. The angel of the Lord finds her by a spring in the desert, and greets her this way:
“Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”
The question, of course, is for her benefit, not his. Isn’t it just like God to begin by asking a question? Hagar only half-answers his question. She can speak of her past — she’s running away from Sarai — but not about her future. She can’t see that far ahead.
But God can.
After instructing Hagar to return to Sarai, the angel of the Lord promises her a son — Ishmael — which means God hears, because God has heard of her misery. The angel of the Lord has given her a beautiful name for her son; she responds to this kindness by bestowing a beautiful new title upon God. And in so doing, she becomes the only person in the Bible to give God a name … “She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me’” (Genesis 16:13).
Hagar has a new vision of God, who has given her a new vision for her life and her descendants. God sees circumstances, as in Hagar’s mistreatment and subsequent fleeing to isolation. And throughout the Old Testament we’re reminded often that he sees the plight of the fatherless and the widow, the leper, the barren, and the poor. The God Who Sees is acutely aware of suffering.
But of course he sees more than just the person’s circumstances. He also sees their heart. This is what truly moved Hagar to name him the God who sees me.
Share with one another (either in the large group, in pairs, or in triads):
- What was meaningful to you in this reading? What was stirred in you?
- We sense God’s tenderness and compassion with Hagar. Trust that God sees you with those same eyes. What do you need him to see in you today? Where do you need to experience being seen, known, and loved by your Father in heaven?
- Pray for one another with gratitude and love.
Let’s pray for:
• Kids who are physically hungry, thirsty or in need of basic provisions like shelter or clothing. (Psalm 12:5; Psalm 113:7-8)
• Kids who are sick in body or sick at heart; for kids who are “homesick” for the Father’s house, and may not even know it. (Matthew 14:13-14; Psalm 34:18; John 1:11-13)
• Kids who are feeling like a stranger, forgotten, abandoned or like they simply do not belong. (Psalm 139:13-18; Isaiah 49:15-16)
• Kids who are in prison, whether behind bars made of steel or bars made of fear, self-rejection, addiction or other realities that keep them from experiencing the generous freedom Jesus offers. (2 Corinthians 3:17; Luke 4:16-21)
Praying for Adolescents
As we begin to pray for the adolescents in our communities and the world, remember:
- God sees them, knows them, and loves them. Ask that he gives us eyes to see as he sees: who they are; where they are; what they need. Ask that he gives us his heart to know and love them.
- We are entirely dependent upon the Spirit of God to open eyes and ears to see and hear him. Ask that he gives adolescents in our community the grace to see the gentle eyes of Jesus fixed upon them and to hear his loving voice calling them by name. May they experience being deeply seen, known, and loved by God.
- God is drawn to those who are suffering. Virtually all adolescents are suffering today. In fact, it is the nature of adolescence to suffer! Jehovah Roi (the God Who Sees) is also Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals. Ask God to pour out his healing presence in the lives of the adolescents in our community. Ask God to heal hearts, minds, bodies, and families.
We are reminded that we do not know how to pray, yet the Spirit intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. We are reminded that the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God (see Romans 8:26, 27). We are reminded that as soon as he hears us, he will answer us (see Isaiah 30:19), and from his temple he will rise and act dramatically on our behalf (see Psalm 18:6-19). With these assurances, let’s now bring our requests for adolescents before God.
Praying for our Co-laborers in Christ
Take a few moments to intercede on behalf of those who lead us, support us, and serve alongside us in the search for lost sheep. As we pray, recall that Jehovah Roi and Jehovah Rapha is also:
- Jehovah Jireh, the God Who Provides. Genesis 22:8; Philippians 4:19. Ask boldly for what we and our co-laborers need as we seek to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith.
- Jehovah Shalom, the LORD is Peace. Judges 6:23, 24; John 14:27. Ask God to deliver us from bloodshed and violence; from division and destruction; from cyber-attacks and soul-assaults; from anxiety and fear. Ask God for peace that surpasses understanding to anchor us deeply as a mission.
- Jehovah Rohi, the LORD is our Shepherd. Psalm 23; John 10:11-18. Ask that the Good Shepherd would deliver us from the evil one, restore our souls, and lead us along the path that leads to life. Ask that the Good Shepherd would give us wisdom and discernment as we seek to follow him.
Pray now for our co-laborers in Christ.
Closing Prayer: The Name Above All Names
End this time of intercession by reading aloud together Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV). Offer it together as a closing prayer:
“In your relationships with one another,
have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
AMEN.
Benediction
May we move forward from this time of prayer on our knees, confessing Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God the Father. May we embody the self-emptying, self-giving, self-sacrificing love of Jesus in our own homes, neighborhoods, and communities. May the small offering of our lives become a means of grace for adolescents everywhere, that they may come to know the God who sees them and become deeply rooted in his love. AMEN.