Q: How do you pray for someone who is struggling against unseen forces?
A: Once we come to personal faith in Christ, it’s impossible for Him to leave or forsake us. But it is possible for spiritual struggles to keep us from getting to know Him better. We can’t slip away from salvation, but the intimacy we develop with Jesus may be weakened.
So when you pray for a friend, colleague, or family member who doesn’t seem interested in knowing Jesus or going to church anymore, be sure what you’re praying for. Pray that God would remember His promise to be with them. Pray that God would restore their faith. And pray that God would lead them back to the intimacy they once enjoyed with Him.
Q: What do you do when you feel like you’ve run out of prayers?
There’s nothing wrong with staying silent in the presence of God. In his book The Four Loves, C. S. Lewis talks about how with “friendship love” two people can be sitting in front of a roaring fire on a cold day, comfortable with not having to speak—content to just sit, stir the fire, and be.
So if you feel you’ve run out of prayers, that’s okay. Just be with God, even in silence. That’s what friendship is all about.