How are you influenced? Chances are you’re influenced by those in your community.
Influencing One Another
We can influence each other to love, to have peace with one another, to forgive one another, to prefer one another, to console, encourage, exhort, to be compassionate, to be patient with one another, and more. What a beautiful legacy to leave behind!
It’s all there – in Scripture. Both what to do and what not to do, with and for one another as we lead.
When we are rooted deeply in Scripture, our prayers will illustrate this rooted connection.
The teens gathered at this retreat gave clear testimony of being influenced through their grandparents’ prayers. The little one on the Facebook video needed to learn the 23rd Psalm from someone before he could relay it back on video so fluently. That toddler has now influenced over 9,000,000 viewers.
How are You Influencing the Next Generation?
As parents, teachers, and leaders of younger generations, we can do a lot of generic instructing. Some of our talking may have an impact, but most of it won’t. We’re sure the teens at the retreat do not remember the exact words their grandparents prayed…
However, actions – over time - impact those we lead.
Prayer in Action
In marriage, husbands and wives have a unique advantage – they can bring everything to the Lord in prayer together. If you’re married, are you taking the opportunity to pray together? Those prayers will influence your children, and eventually your grandchildren.
What about in the marketplace? Do you pray for your company and its customers? If you have co-workers who are Christ followers, join together (in private, if necessary) and pray for your employer, employees, and customers.
In one small company we know of, two young fathers pray together at the beginning of their business day. What a difference it would make if more people in business prayed together for their businesses, their co-workers, and their customers.
Last month we joined a 15-minute, Tuesday morning conference call. The focus is to pray for those lives we touch in business. (Because all business is His business.) The person who initiated this marketplace prayer endeavor felt led by the Lord. One factor God used to make the importance of this clear was a comment by a client stating she was convinced the only person praying for her, by name, was this businessman.
Yes – we can have influence in the marketplace through our prayers.
What do we pray for one another?
The Bible is filled with instructions on how to pray for one another and how to behave with one another. We can pray:
- To have peace with one another. (Mark 9:50)
- For the opportunity to share Scripture with one another. (Luke 24:32)
- To love one another. (John 13:34)
- That we’re all one in Christ. (Romans 12:5)
- To be kind and affectionate with one another. (Romans 12:10)
- Not to judge one another. (Romans 14:13)
- To build up each other. (Romans 14:19)
- That we will serve one another. (Galatians 5:13)
- To be humble and gentle and patient with one another (Ephesians 4:2)
[Hint: Want more ideas on how or what to pray? Search for the words “one another” in a Bible application or concordance.]
We can influence with prayer and Scripture, deeply rooted in the ultimate leader, Jesus.
Leading within our community.
A community is made up of individuals, and every individual in a community has the opportunity to influence one another. Toddler. Teen. Student. Spouse. Parent. Child caregiver. Grandparent. Businessperson. We are all part of at least one community, or many.
How are you using your prayer life, and being rooted in Scripture, to lead those around you?
Written by: Robert and Lori Ferguson
