Loving others through prayer

Jesus went to the temple and was angry because the people had turned the temple into a "den of thieves" the people were using the temple, the house of God to sell their stuff and rip people off. Jesus said;

 ^... “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ " Luke 19:46

When Solomon built the temple he prayed and said;

²⁷ “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! ²⁸ Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today: ²⁹ that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place. ³⁰ And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive. 1 Kings 8:27-30

There is something powerful about a group of people gathering together to thank, praise, and offer up prayer before God. We experience love from different parts of the body, we receive encouragement when we are down, we feel intimate with those in the body of Christ.  We receive answers to our prayers and God receives the glory. This is the body of Christ in action, interceding for one another and genuinely caring and loving others. I am struck by how many times in scripture that the apostles said in their letters that they prayed for one another requesting wisdom, knowledge, salvation, supplication, having an attitude of thankfulness toward one another. They gathered together for  prayers of healing, forgiveness, demonic oppression, being confident that God hears and answers them. By praying for others we are serving them. 

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints Eph. 6:17-18

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,..^{Eph 1:15-18} 

2 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 1 Timothy 2:2 

I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, Philemon 1:3-5 

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. James 5:15

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16

So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:29

We have the privilege of confidently coming to God In prayer because he hears us and delights in hearing our prayers. 

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to theLord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. Proverbs 15:8

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12

Prayer for others is the fruit of genuine love and commitment to the saints and the kingdom of God. Pray in the secret quiet place before God but pray also in the house of God so that God receives the glory and others can experience the love of Christ.