IF YOU IGNORE HIS WORD DON'T ASK FOR HIS HELP

PROCLAMATION

“Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim.  Neither he nor his attendants nor the people  of the land paid any attention to the words The Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.  King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehukal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: ‘Please pray to The Lord our God for us.’”  Jeremiah 37:1-3 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After Nebuchadnezzar defeated Judah and took Jehoiachin into captivity, he made Zedekiah king of Judah.  Zedekiah did not follow the words of The Lord.  But when things began to go bad for him, he sent word to Jeremiah to pray to The Lord God for him and the people of Judah. (Jeremiah 37:1-3)

APPLICATION

It is amazing to hear people, who will not follow The Word of God, call upon Him for help when they get into trouble.  They do not have time for Him, or they just plain ignore Him, when times are going good for them but let trouble strike and they will pray like there is no tomorrow.  Do not deceive yourself, The Lord God is not to be played with, (Galatians 6:7) those who deny Him will be denied by Him. (Matthew 10:33)  The day will come when they will call on Him and He will tell them “Depart from Me …” (Matthew 7:23)  Wicked people will often desire the prayers of the righteous in times of distress.  Believers are taught to love and pray for their enemies. (Matthew 5:44)  We are to pray for them, but they want us to pray for God to get them out of a bad situation and not to change them.  We need to be very careful regarding what we pray for, to be sure that it will glorify The Lord God. (John 14:13)

BLESSED FOR PRAYING FOR OTHERS

PROCLAMATION

“After Job prayed for his friends, The Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.”  Job 42:10 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

During all of the time and things that Job suffered, he did not curse The Lord God or lose faith in Him. (Job 13:15 and 27:3-4)  After The Lord God spoke to him and Job humbled himself. (Job 40:3-5) Then God spoke to Job’s friend Eliphaz and told him that He was angry with him and his two friends, Bildad and Zophar, because they did not speak the truth about Him as Job had done. (Job 42:7-8)  The Lord God forgave them after Job prayed for them. (Job 42:9)  It is also interesting to note that The Lord God blessed Job and restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before, only after Job prayed for his friends. (Job 42:10)  The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than He had blessed him in the first part. (Job 42:12-17) 

APPLICATION

As believers we are told to pray for that which we want. (John 16:24 and James 4:2)  Jesus, The Christ, said, “Ask, and it shall be given you;” (Matthew 7:7-8, Mark 21:22, and Luke 11:9) as long as we ask for it in His name and that it glorifies God. (John 14:13)  However, we are also told to pray for one another. (James 5:16)  We are to love our brothers as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, and Luke 10:27) and therefore we should pray for them as we would pray for ourselves.  We are also to pray for our pastors and our governmental leaders (Hebrews 13:7) for they were put in their positions by The Lord God. (Psalm 75:6-7)  We all need prayer.  Let us stop complaining and start praying.

WE SHOULD USE OUR GOD GIVEN GIFTS TO HELP OTHERS

Proclamation:

“The end of all things is near.  Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace …”  1 Peter 4:7-10 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  Peter began this fourth chapter by telling them that they should live for God.  They should have the same attitude that Christ had.  They should not be surprised when men verbally abuse them for walking away from the pagan life style which they used to live and following Christ. (1 Peter 4:1-5)  Then he tells them that the end is near and that they should be as Christ-like as possible.  They should use their God given gifts to the best of their abilities to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace. (1 Peter 4:7-11)  He ends by telling them that judgment will begin with God’s people, and he quotes Proverbs 11:30-31 to them. (1 Peter 4:17-19)

Application:

Judgment Day is coming and the end of this world is near.  Believers will be judged, not regarding their salvation, but to determine the rewards that they will receive in heaven.  Non-believers will be judged to show that they had the opportunity to accept Christ but didn’t.  Believers need to be careful and prayerful, loving and forgiving.  We need to use our talents, gifts, and abilities which we have been blessed with to help others and to show the world that we are faithful stewards of the grace of God. (Matthew 5:16) 

THE PRAYERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS ARE POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE

Proclamation:

“Is anyone among you in trouble?  Let them pray … Is anyone among you sick?  Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them … the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; The Lord will raise them up … The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  James 5:13-16 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by James, the half brother of Jesus, The Christ, (Galatians 1:19) under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (James 1:1)  He begins the fifth and final chapter of this letter by telling them that the rich people, who lived in luxury, hoarded their wealth, failed to pay their workers, and made innocent people suffer, will themselves suffer. (James 5:1-6)  Then he urges the believers to be patient.  They that persevered in the face of suffering will be blessed. (James 5:10-12)  He encourages them to pray for themselves and to ask the elders of the church to pray for them.  The prayers of the righteous are powerful and very effective.

Application:

As believers we are encouraged to always pray, and to pray about all things. (Matthew 21:22, Luke 18:1, Luke 21:36, and Ephesians 6:18)  We are also encouraged to pray for one another. (James 5:16)  The prayers of the righteous are powerful.  Prayer changes things.  If all is going well with you, then thank God and sing psalms or songs of praise. (James 5:13)  If all is not well, then pray, and ask the righteous to pray for you.   

BELIEVERS SHOULD CONTINUALLY PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER

Proclamation:

“… We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that The Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of The Lord and please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His might so that you may have great endurance and patience …”  Colossians 1:9-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written in a letter by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Colossae.  Paul began this letter in his usual manner by introducing himself and offering a prayer for them. (Colossians 1:1-6)  Then he explains why he continues to pray for them. (Colossians 1:9-12)  He wants them to live a life which is pleasing to God.  He wants them to do good works which produce fruit for The Lord, and he wants them to grow in the knowledge of God and be strengthened by His power.

Application:

We all need prayer.  In fact, we are where we are, and who we are today because somebody prayed for us.  It may have been our mother or grandmother, our sister or brother, a relative or friend, a loved one or a preacher, but somebody, probably more than one somebody prayed for us, and they prayed for us more than once.  Likewise, as believers we need to pray for one another.  There is power in prayer, and the prayers of the righteous are effective. (James 5:16)  Again, we all need prayer, and not only because of our current situation.  Each of us could benefit by learning more about The Word of God.  We all could also do a better job of doing things which are pleasing to God.  We all need His help and strength to make it through each day.  We also need to be grateful and thankful for that which we have already been blessed with. (Colossians 1:12-14)

PRAISE AND PRAYER DURING OUR TRIALS

Proclamation:

"Do not withhold Your mercy from me, Lord; may Your love and Your faithfulness always protect me.  For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.  They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.  Be pleased to save me, Lord; come quickly, Lord, to help me."  Psalms 40:11-13 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written by King David, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  David was quick to praise The Lord and to pray.  He prayed and praised The Lord when things were going well in his life and he prayed and praised The Lord whenever he was in trouble.  He confessed his many sins and asked for God's forgiveness and His help.  He praised God for delivering him out of deep distress. (Psalm 40:1-5)  He praised God for his salvation. (Psalm 40:6-10)  Then he prays for God’s mercy and grace. (Psalm 40:11-17)  He not only prayed for himself but he also prayed for all of the people of God. (Psalm 40:16)

Application:

We could all learn a lot from David.  For even though he committed many sins, he acknowledged them and asked God for forgiveness.  He never broke his communication with God and he was always aware of his relationship to God.  That is probably why he is often referred to as "a man after God's own heart." (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22)  We would do well to imitate that part of David's behavior.  We should pray and praise God in good times and bad.  All too often we forget to pray when things are going well and we forget to praise God when things are not going so well.  We need to praise Him and thank Him for what He has already done.  We need to quit worrying about the things that we don’t have and praise Him for that which we have.  Our glass is not half empty, it is half full.  Praise The Lord for that.

PRAY THIS PRAYER FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Proclamation:

"May The LORD answer you when you are in distress; may ... God ... protect you.  May He send you help ... and grant you support.  May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your ... offerings.  May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed."  Psalms 20:1-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This psalm of David was a prayer which was usually sung before a battle.  Those who were facing difficult times wanted God to answer their prayers of distress, to protect them, to help and support them.  They wanted God to remember their past sacrifices and to allow their present plans to succeed.

Application:

This prayer seem appropriate for us today for we want the same things.  We want God to hear us, to protect us, and help us.  We want Him to remember the good that we have done.  We also want Him to grant us the desires of our heart.  We want these things not only for ourselves but also for our loved ones.   Even if our only battle is with the devil and his demons, or with our trials, tribulations, and temptations, prayer is our most powerful weapon and we should use it more often.  We should pray this prayer for ourselves and for our family and friends.

GOD HAS A PLAN FOR EACH OF US

Proclamation:

"After Job had prayed for his friends, The Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before ... The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first." Job 42:10-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by Job under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Job, who was a rich and righteous man, (Job 1:1-3) lost everything that he had, (Job 1:13-19) including his health, (Job 2:7) but kept his faith in God. (Job 1:21-22)  Through all of his suffering, Job did not take his wife's advice to curse God and die. (Job 2:9)  He also would not agree with his three friends who said that he was being punished for his sins.  Job remained faithful and he passed his test.  After he prayed for his friends, God healed his body and restored his prosperity, giving him twice as much as he had beforehand.

Application:
Only God knows why we go through the situations that we go through.  There is a purpose for everything, even if we do not understand it while we are enduring it.  Our future holds something much better for us that anything we enjoyed in the past.  So don't be discouraged when you go through the storms of life, they are only tests and temporary situations.  God is sovereign and is in control of all things.  We just need to trust Him and keep the faith.  He will work everything out in our best interest, as only He can.  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

A UNIVERSAL PRAYER

Proclamation:

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine on us; so that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.  May the people praise You, God; may all the people praise You.  May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the people with equity …May the people praise You … May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear Him.” Psalms 67:1-7

Explanation:

This psalm was written by an unknown human author under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  It is an intercessory prayer for God to be merciful and to bless all of the people in the world.

Application:

Given the sad state of affairs throughout this country and the rest of the world, we should pray for all of the people in the world.  We all need prayer, especially the leaders of the nations.  Daily we are reminded of the sinful state of man and each incident should serve as a reminder to believers to pray for mankind.  Eventually, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord of all. (Philippians 2:11)

MY PRAYER FOR YOU

Proclamation:

“For this reason I kneel before The Father … I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit … so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you … may have power … to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ … that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV)

Explanation:

Under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God the Apostle Paul wrote these words t the believers in Ephesus to let them know that he was praying for them.  He wanted The Lord God to bless them, to strengthen them, to dwell within them, to enlighten them and increase their understanding of the love of Christ.  Paul also prayed that they would be filled with the fullness of God, meaning that they would receive grace for grace from the fullness of Christ.

Application:

We are encouraged to pray, (Luke 18:1) to pray often, (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to pray for each other. (James 5:16a)  There is power in prayer, especially in the prayer of a sincere believer. (James 5:16b)  Here we are encouraged to pray that God will strengthen those that we care about and increase their understanding of Jesus Christ and His love for us.  The only strength we have is God’s strength, and all wisdom and understanding are gifts from God.  We need His strength to stand by our Christian principals. (Psalm 29:11)  We are only truly enlightened when He blesses us with wisdom and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6)  Only God and change a person’s heart so if you really want to help someone then pray for them. (John 12:40 and 2 Corinthians 5:17)  The more times I read these verses, the more I am convinced that as Christians, we should all pray this prayer for each other. 

PRAY TO OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN

Proclamation:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done …” Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)

Explanation:

This is the model prayer which Jesus, The Christ, used as an example when He taught His disciples how to pray.  After giving them several examples of what not to do, He said to them “This, then, is how you should pray: …”  

Application:

Prayer is simply us talking to God.  When we think of prayer this way it becomes easier to understand why Jesus told us what not to do.  We should not pray to be seen. (Matthew 6:5)  There is a time and place for corporate prayer but we are not to draw attention to ourselves.  Also, we should not use vain repetitions when we pray. (Matthew 6:7)  No one would believe us if every time we spoke to them we used the exact same words and said the same thing every time.  I am sure that God is not pleased with us when our prayers to Him are always a combination of the same trite, over used expressions which we heard someone else say.  The model prayer is an example of how we should pray.  In our prayers we should acknowledge who He is.  We should thank Him for what He has done.  We should confess our sins and ask to be forgiven.  Then we should ask for what it is that we want.  We should also ask for something for some one else and not just be selfish.  A helpful acronym is “ACTS”, which stands for acknowledgement, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication.  We should pray regularly and frequently. (Luke 18:1 and 21:36)  In case we unknowingly ask for something which is inappropriate, we should also ask that His will be done and that He give us the ability to accept His will.  Our prayers should be sincere and heart felt in order to be effective. (James 5:16)

Pray For One Another

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of The Lord and may please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,"  Colossians 1:9-10 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in Colosse, the Apostle Paul said that he and the believers with him prayed for them daily and asked God to bless them with the knowledge of His will.  They prayed for them to receive the wisdom and understanding that they might walk worthy of The Lord, and please Him with their efforts, and produce fruit in every good work, and grow spiritually.

We ought to sincerely pray for one another. (James 5:16)  Pray for those who are doing well and being productive in their work for The Lord, and for those who are struggling.  We all need more knowledge of His will, and more wisdom and understanding.  We all also need His help in order to live a life that is worthy of The Lord.  Let us pray for one another that our efforts will be good works, and that we will produce good fruit as we grow spiritually.  Let us also thank God that some one prayed for us.

Refrain From Anger And Wrath And Sin

"Be still before The LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evil."  Psalms 37:7-8 (NIV)

These are the words of King David, inspired by The Holy Spirit of God, addressed to the people of God, telling them to relax, be calm, and do not get upset because of what is going on around them, especially the success of the wicked.

These words are also appropriate for us today.  The wicked, the evil ones, the liars, and the cheats seem to be getting ahead in this world and enjoying the spoils of success.  Whereas the good, "the nice guys" seem to finish last.  Believers should not worry about the wicked ones, for they will soon be cut down. (Psalms 37:1-2)  Rather, what we should do is trust in The Lord, commit to The Lord, delight in The Lord, and do that which is good in His sight, and He will give us the desires of our hearts. (Psalms 37:3-5)  We should learn how to mind our own business and not worry about the affairs of others. (1 Thessalonians 4:11)  We should do what The Lord has assigned for us to do, and we should pray for every body else, good and bad.

Put On The Whole Armor Of God Stand Firm And Pray

"Finally, be strong in The Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of The Spirit, which is The Word of God.  And pray in The Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."  Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in The Church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul told them to be strong and to arm themselves with the whole armor of God, so that they could stand against the devil's schemes, against evil rulers, authorities, powers, and against evil spiritual forces.  Paul told them that when evil attacks them, they should stand firm in the things of God and pray.  He advised them to pray, not only for themselves, but to pray for all of the saints because they would also be under attack.

We need to be aware of the fact that we are engaged in a battle against evil powers and evil spiritual forces, which we cannot stand up against without the help of The Lord God and His power.  Daily we struggle against evil.  The only protection we have from evil are The Truth, His righteousness, the gospel of His peace, faith in Him, and His salvation.  The only weapons that we have to fight against evil are The Word of God and prayer.  Without the help of The Lord God we could not stand against the evil schemes and power of the devil.  God knows that, which is why He said that the battle is not ours, it is His. (2 Chronicles 20:15)  Just as He did for Israel, He will fight our battles. (2 Chronicles 20:17)  We just need to believe, and pray, then stand and see the salvation of The Lord.

Pray Frequently And Often

"Pray continually;"  1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)  The King James Version reads: "Pray without ceasing."

In his letter to the believers in the Church at Thessalonika, the Apostle Paul told them that they ought to always pray, or to pray frequently and often.

Prayer is the means by which believers communicate with God.  Jesus, The Christ, said that man ought to always pray. (Luke 18:1)  King David was a man after God's heart not because he was perfect, but because he prayed frequently and often.  We have not because we ask not. (James 4:2)  Christ said that whatever we ask for in His name we would receive. (Matthew 21:22)  That is, if what we ask for will give God glory.  We are encouraged to be faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12), and to pray for one another. (James 5:16)  Our prayers should be sincere. (Ephesians 6:18)  We should pray for those that we love, and for our enemies. (Matthew 5:44)  We should not pray just to be seen and heard by men or to get attention. (Matthew 6:5-6)  The more often that we sincerely pray, the less often we are likely to enter into temptation to sin. (Matthew 26:41 and Mark 14:38)  Jesus prayed for His disciples and He also prayed for us. (John 17:20)  So pray, and pray sincerely, and pray often.  The more often we pray, the better off we will be.  

Don't Laugh When Others Fall

"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or The LORD will see and disapprove and turn His wrath away from him."  Proverbs 24:17-18 (NIV)

The wisest of the wise men, King Solomon, said do not be glad when your enemy falls, God will see you rejoicing and He will disapprove of your behavior.

The Bible says that we are to pray for our enemy and do good to them. (Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:28)  By doing good to those who do us wrong, we heap hot burning coals upon their heads. God will cause them to suffer. (Proverbs 25:21-22)   But laughing at them in the mist of their misfortune is not the Christian thing to do, and God will not be pleased with us for doing so.  We are to have sympathy and compassion for our fellow man, even the ones who wrong us.  It is easy to love those who love us.  It is not so easy to love those who do not love us, and who show their dislike for us.  But that is exactly what Jesus wants us to do. (Matthew 5:46-48)   As Christians we are to display Godly behavior, even when those around us do not.  To do that requires much prayer, and God's help, and we need to ask God for His help to do this.

Ask God For The Right Things And Be Blessed

"At Gibeon The LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, 'Ask for whatever you want me to give you.'  Solomon answered ... I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties ... So give Your servant a discerning heart to govern Your people and to distinguish between right and wrong ... So God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked.  I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.  Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for, both riches and honor, so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.  And if you walk in My ways and obey My statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.' "  1 Kings 3:5-14 (NIV)

After he had firmly established himself as the king, because his older brother Adonijah had declared himself to be the king (1 Kings 1:5-7) after David, King Solomon asked God for a discerning heart to govern and to distinguish right from wrong.  God blessed him with that and wisdom, riches, honor, and  a long life.  God made him the wisest man ever.

Often we ask God for things that we should not ask for, and we don't ask for some things that we should ask Him for.  King Solomon is the perfect example of asking God for the right things, for the right reasons, and being blessed with that and much, much more.  His request was not selfish, it was for the benefit of others.  Maybe we could learn a lesson from Solomon which might help us with our prayer life.  Sincerely praying for the benefit of others, may result in us receiving blessings for ourselves. 

We Should Pray For One Another

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of The Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to The Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:9-12 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul prayed for the Christians in the Church at Colosse based solely upon what he had heard about them. The fact that he had never visited them, and that he did not know them personally, did not stop him from praying for them.

Christians are always under attack by the demons of Satan, powers, principalities, wicked people in high places, and people under the influence of the devil. (Ephesians 6:12) We are all always in need of prayer. We should pray for others as we would pray for ourselves. Someone prayed for us, even before we prayed for ourselves.

We Are All Called To Serve God

"I keep asking that The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you ..." Ephesians 1:17-18 (NIV)

This was the prayer of the apostle Paul for the Christians in Ephesus.

We are not all called to preach the gospel, but we are all called by God to serve Him in some capacity. We are not all given the same gifts or abilities but we all have at least one gift that we can use in His service. We should all pray for each other that we would recognize our gifts and how we can use them for the glory of God.

A Prayer For My Christian Friends

To all of my friends, "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." 3 John 1:2 (NIV)

The Apostle John here was praying for his friend Gaius. Not much is known about Gaius, but he is obviously a very good Christian because John prayed that his physical health and his life may go as well as his soul and spiritual life is going.

So, to those of my friends who believe, and are saved, and are walking with Christ, I pray this prayer. May you enjoy good health, a good long and happy life, and may your life and physical health match your spiritual health and life. And, to those of my friends who are not saved, may something be said, written, read, prayed, preached, or sung to you that The Holy Spirit can use to convict, convince, and convert you so that you too will believe.