Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit to strive together with me in your prayers for me,”  Romans 15:30

 Urge – Paul wasn’t afraid to ask for help.  He knew that he needed the prayers of others.  In fact, he did more than mention his need.  He exhorted others to come along side him and support him.  That’s the sense of parakaleo; the call someone to your side for aid.  It’s the same word that is the basis for the name of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter.  This is a strong appeal demonstrating vulnerability. 

If the great apostle Paul recognized his deep need for prayer, why do you suppose we find it difficult to ask others for their prayers?  There are probably two reasons.  First, we might have embraced the false picture of reality that says we are all independent individuals who are supposed to stand on our own two feet.  So, the reason we don’t make our needs known is simple:  we’re embarrassed to admit that we can’t handle life.  This thinking is anti-Christian.  The model for Christians is not individuals but rather community.  My identity is part of the body, in need of the other parts.  Jesus Himself asked for prayer.  When the Scripture talks about bearing each other’s burdens, it means that seeking God on behalf of someone else should be a high priority.  There is no place for embarrassment in the life of the church.  We all need help.

But the second reason is probably the more likely one.  It is about who actually does the praying.  How many times has someone asked you to pray from them and you committed to do so, only to find that you didn’t make it a priority and you forgot to follow through?  The truth of the matter is that too often prayer is not a priority.  We forget to intercede.  And if we forget, we reason that others will forget when we make a request.  So, we stop asking.  Our failure to follow through sets the mood.  We deprive ourselves of seeing God’s grace in action because we measure success in terms of our own failures.

My brothers and sisters, I also urge (call out to you to come along side me) prayer for me.  And I commit to seek God’s face on your behalf.  Prayer is the most powerful weapon we have.  Let your requests be made known.  And pray.  Prayer is the affirmation that you believe God is in charge of life.  It is the confirmation that you serve Him.  It is the declaration that you trust Him.  What else could you need?