[Darris McNeely] I’ve always thought that the apostle Paul had probably the longest, most-involved prayer lists of anyone imaginable. The reason I’ve come to that conclusion – actually did many years ago – is by what he writes in Colossians 1:9.

We’re talking about in a series on intercessory prayer – taking the needs of people, our friends, our brethren, the world, and others that we know about before God in prayer, praying for people and chaining ourselves in that way and laying our lives out for one another in prayer, and taking people’s conditions to God’s throne.

The apostle Paul said that he did that continually. In Colossians 1:9 he said, “We do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” We do not cease. Amazing. Unceasing prayer, the apostle Paul talks about. He mentions this several times to several different churches that he had and he was the pastor. And as I say, he had a very long prayer list. And he must have spent many, many hours praying for the needs of people.

When we think about intercessory prayer, and we think that the opportunity we have to not only talk to our Father and to talk to Jesus Christ in prayer, to bring people’s conditions, needs, lives – to bring the state of the world to God and to ask and to pray, as Christ said, “Thy kingdom come”. To pray for the world is an act of true love. To pray for one another is an act of Christian love, as well, that binds us to one another in a unique way, beyond anything that we can ever imagine. I sometimes wonder if that may be a form of true spiritual unity that binds us to one another in the presence of God in prayer, through the incense that the book of Revelation talks about as a type of prayer, that takes us to a different level of fellowship with God and with Jesus Christ than we might imagine, and with one another.

Intercessory prayer – praying for this world and even interceding as we can before God and asking His guidance upon the nations of the world and for one another – is a very important key to understanding the greatness of God, the love of God, and the love that the Bible says banishes all fear. Take that challenge to bind yourself before God in prayer for one another, for the conditions of this world, and do not cease to pray, just as the apostle Paul said that he did not cease to pray for the needs of people and for the needs of this world. Do that, and I think it will help all of us come to a greater understanding of the relationship with God and the spiritual unity that we have in the body of Jesus Christ.

That’s BT Daily. Join us next time.