Prayer- it is powerful! We see that throughout the Bible. Elijah prayed multiple prayers that God answered. Think fire (1 Kings 18:20-40 ESV) and rain (James 5:16-18 ESV). Genesis 24 records another example when Abraham’s servant prayed that God would show him a good wife for Isaac, and God revealed to him Rebekah. Peter, a disciple of Jesus, whom God used as the building rock of the church, the body of Christ, prayed for God to revive a deceased widow named Tabitha, and He did (Acts 9:36-43 ESV)! What do you think would happen if we prayed daily, fervently, and bodly for our siblings? Lets think about it.
Growing Closer to God and to Each Other
Our siblings are a special gift from the Lord. Despite the times when all they do is annoy or irritate us, God specifically planned for them to be our siblings. What does the Bible say about siblings? I am sure it says more than this, but the first thing that comes to mind is Proverbs 17:17 ESV, which says, “…a brother is born for adversity.” That means that brothers are meant to help each other in times of need and trouble. For this reason, I think it is super important for siblings to have stong relationships. Granted, that doesn’t mean you never have conflict, but are able to work through it and resolve it civilly, and be there for one another. I once heard that the only way to strengthen our relationships with other people is to strengthen our relationships with God. It’s true!
The Lord of heaven and earth designed relationships to model His relationship with us, but sin destroyed our relationships with God and with each other. That is why we “kill… quarrel and fight” (quoted from James 4:2 NIV, highly encourage you to read and meditate on James 4:1-12 NIV). Although we are still susceptible to sin, God, in His great mercy, sent His Spirit to produce fruits of righteousness in our lives (John 15 NIV). It makes complete sense that we must grow closer to Him in order to grow closer to each other, especially our siblings and family, even strangers, because as we experience more of His steadfast love and grow in it, He increases our love for others.
Praying with a Heart of Love
I must admit that it was only a few mornings ago when God placed the desire in my heart to start regularly praying for my three brothers. Already, I have forgetten to do it a few times. I seriously began thinking about the importantance of praying for my siblings a several weeks ago. Listening to The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten-Boom, I was inspired by a story she shared of how God gave her His love for an individual when her own love was not adequate. Then, in my own prayers, I felt like God was actually increasing my love for other people, graciously and generously giving me deeper love and empathy for others.
You may be wondering, “How does this relate to praying for my siblings?” Here it is: I think that God could and would increase our love for our siblings and strengthen our relationships with them if we intentionlly and lovingly pray for them. Let us pray with the right motives, not out our selfish ambition or conceit (Philippians 2:3 ESV). I am certain that God will not only hear our prayers, but He will work through our prayers in us to deepen our love for our siblings.
The Power of Consistent Prayer
Hudson Taylor, one of the first recognized missionaries in China, wasn’t always a follower of Jesus. His Christian family taught the Bible in their home to young Taylor, but as a teenager he decided to reject God. Defiant and rebellious, Taylor departed from the narrow path that leads to life and turned onto the wide road leading to destruction (Matthew 7:12-20 ESV). However, God saved His life by answering the prayers of one of His loving sisters. She devoted herself to prayer three times a day for her unbelieving brother until He came to Christ. Hearing this story from Hudson Taylor: Deep in the Heart of China really impressed upon me the great power behind fervent, consistent prayer.
The Point
Praying for our sibling may not yeild the exact same miraculous results, but that is not the goal. The intention is to carry our siblings’ burdens with them and to lift them up to Jesus on their behalf (Galations 6:1-5 ESV). My call to action for you today is to start daily praying for each of your siblings. This should not be a box you check off the list. I truly beleive that if God has placed this desire on your heart, maybe for the first time as you read this blogpost, and you obey that call, the Lord will produce much fruit from it.
That fruit may not appear at once; it may not even be the kind of fruit that you expect. Some of the fruit may appear in the lives of your siblings. On the other hand, it may show up in your heart, as we have discussed, as God further develops His love in you- for your siblings and others around you. In conclusion, I pray that this blogpost will encourage and inspire you to begin praying diligently for you siblings. Wait patiently and watch for God to move in your heart, in the heart’s of your brothers and sisters, and in your relationships with them.
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
~James 5:16 ESV
Works Referenced
“Access Your Bible from Anywhere.” BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 150 Versions and 50 Languages., www.biblegateway.com/.
Benge, Janet, and Geoff Benge. Hudson Taylor: Deep in the Heart of China. YWAM Pub., 1998.
Boom, Corrie Ten, et al. The Hiding Place. Chosen, 2015.
