Praying for Others—Being Prayed For

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

What Does It Mean to Be Constant in Prayer?
It doesn't mean that every minute you are praying. It means persist in prayer. Persevere in it. Stay at it. Be devoted to it. Don't give up or slack off. Be habitual. It's the opposite of random, occasional, sporadic, intermittent. In other words, Paul is calling all Christians to make prayer a regular, habitual, recurring, disciplined part of your life. Treat prayer the way you treat eating and sleeping and doing your job. Don't be hit-and-miss about it. Don't assume it will fill in the cracks between other things. Dealing with God in prayer deserves more than a dial-up on the fly. He is, of course, available any time. And he loves to help at any time. But he is dishonored when we do not make time in our day to give him focused attention. All relationships suffer without regular focused attention.

When Paul tells us to "be in constant prayer," he is calling all of us to a life of regular, planned meetings with God in prayer in which we praise him for who he is, thank him for what he has done, ask him for help, and plead the cause of those we love, including the peoples of the world.

Getting Going in Prayer at Bethlehem
1. Attend one of several weekly prayer meetings.
2. Pray through the Prayer Focus, each week.
3. Go through prayer training to be a part of the worship service prayer teams.

How Can I Be Prayed For
1. Fill out the bulletin tear-off at church and place it in an offering basket.
2. Go forward after a weekend service. At the front the sanctuary, near the platform, prayer team members wait to pray with those desiring prayer.
3. Ask for the elders to pray over you, anointing you with oil.