How to Pray for Others

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

Many people know the Golden Rule, but they may not realize it's connected to prayer: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12 NIV).

That may not sound like it has anything to do with prayer—but it does. When someone asks me to pray for them, and I think, What exactly do I pray? I don’t even know where to start!

Here’s what I can do: Pray for other people the same way you’d like them to pray for me. Would I like to have safety and security and success in my life? Of course. Then pray for safety, security, and success in other people's lives. Would I like God’s financial blessing? Yes. Then pray for the financial blessing of God in other people's lives. Would I like to have a healthy body? Sure. Then pray for other people’s health. Would I like to make better use of my time? We all would! Then pray for others to use their time wisely.

God is my loving Father. The way he treats me as his beloved child is the way he expects me to treat everyone else. Whatever I want God to do for me, pray that same thing for other people.

Learning to pray like this makes me more like Jesus because it makes me more unselfish.

Job 42:10 says, "After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before" (NIV).

Job was one of the wealthiest men in the world, and one day, he literally lost it all. His children were killed. His business collapsed. His crops were burned. He lost his home. He got a terrible disease. He was miserable. 

The book of Job doesn't say, "When Job prayed for himself, God heard him." Instead, God says that Job is ready for his blessing when Job begins to pray for his friends.

God is looking for me to be unselfish. When I begin to pray for other people's breakthrough, I'm going to see God provide for my breakthrough, as well.

In summary:

The Golden Rule not only guides how we treat others but also how we pray for them. When I’m unsure what to pray, I can simply pray for others the very things I would want for myself—health, provision, protection, wisdom, or success. This unselfish approach reflects God’s heart and helps me grow to be more like Jesus. Job’s story reminds me that his restoration didn’t come when he prayed for himself but when he prayed for his friends. In the same way, God blesses me as I shift my prayers from self-focused to others-focused. When I pray for their breakthrough, I open the door for God to bring about my own

Bottom line:

Prayer isn’t just about asking for myself—it’s about practicing the Golden Rule by praying for others the way I'd want them to pray for me. When I focus on others’ needs in prayer, God not only grows my heart to be more like Jesus but also positions me for my own breakthrough.

My Next Wisest step:

Begin weaving this principle into both my personal walk and my working and interacting with others. Practically, I could:

Personally: Start a simple daily rhythm of praying for others’ breakthroughs in the areas I also desire (growth, health, provision, purpose).

Publicly/Professionally: Share this lesson as a model of servant leadership, showing others how focusing on others first unlocks growth for themselves.

When Effort Isn’t Enough: Trusting Jesus for the Breakthrough

“When [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’” Luke 5:4-5 (NIV)

In Luke 5, we read about Simon Peter admitting his failure to Jesus. He was a professional fisherman—and a good one. It was how he made his living. So imagine how hard it must have been for Peter to confess to Jesus, “We’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything” (Luke 5:5 NIV).

But sometimes, even the pros fish all night and catch nothing.

Sometimes I feel that way. Sometimes my best isn’t good enough, and sometimes I face situations out of my control. I can’t control the economy. I can’t control the weather. I can’t control a lot of things that affect my life.

So what should I do when I keep trying hard in my work but just don’t have much to show for it?

First, I need to get Jesus in my boat. In other words, let him be the center of my career or whatever I do each day to provide, care, or serve. Then, once I've asked Jesus to come into my boat, I need to admit my way isn’t working and let him take over. The Bible has a name for “admitting your way isn’t working.” It’s called confession, and it can be tough.

Why is it so hard for me to admit my way isn’t working? 

Here are a few reasons:

Pride. I don’t want anybody to think I can’t handle it. Instead, I try to look like I'm in charge and like I've got it all together. I want to be able to handle everything by myself, even if it means working 12 hours a day.

Stubbornness. I'm unwilling to change the way I do things. The greatest enemy of tomorrow’s success is yesterday’s success?

Fear. I can’t admit I've fished all night and caught nothing. I'm afraid people will think less of me. I'm afraid to let Jesus into my boat because he might steer it in a direction I don’t want to go.

It’s time to confess that my way isn’t working. Let go of my pride, stubbornness, and fear. See how Jesus can take my boat and fill my nets to overflowing.

In summary:

In Luke 5:4-5, Simon Peter, a skilled fisherman, humbly admits his failure after a long, unproductive night of fishing—but still obeys Jesus' instruction to try again. This story illustrates how, despite our best efforts and expertise, I sometimes come up empty due to circumstances beyond my control. When that happens, the key is to invite Jesus into the center of my work and life, confess that my way isn't working, and let Him lead. Confession requires letting go of pride, stubbornness, and fear—barriers that keep me from trusting God fully. Only then can He guide me to abundance beyond my efforts.

Bottom Line:

When my own efforts fall short, learn to invite Jesus into the center of life, surrender control, and trust His direction—He can do more with my obedience than I can with my expertise.

The Power of Thanking God in Advance

"The king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: 'Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!'" 2 Chronicles 20:21 (NLT)

In 2 Chronicles 20:21, King Jehoshaphat had a very unusual way of organizing an army: "The king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: 'Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!'" (NLT).

Jehoshaphat’s battle plan was to put a choir before the infantry. Picture this: On one side, there are three enemy armies amassed to do battle against Israel. Then there’s the valley where they’re going to battle. Then there are the lowly Israelites. Jehoshaphat essentially says, “We’re going to take those of you who sing and make a choir out of you, putting you in front of the army as you march into battle.”

There’s a very important truth here: The Israelites were thanking God in advance for the victory. Praise and thanksgiving are verbalized faith. If I thank God after the fact, that’s gratitude. If I thank God before it happens, that’s faith.

Notice the effect of praise in verses 22 and 23: “When they began to sing, the LORD threw the invading armies into a panic. The Ammonites and the Moabites attacked the Edomite army and completely destroyed it, and then they turned on each other in savage fighting" (GNT). God confused the enemy, and they turned on each other and destroyed themselves while the Israelites looked on. There is power in expectation.

That insurmountable problem in my life—the one with the odds may be stacked against me? When i thank God after he’s solved everything, that’s called gratitude. But when I thank him before it’s all settled—right in the middle of the problem—that’s faith.

When I allow God to solve my problems, it becomes a testimony to unbelievers. The world takes notice when his followers live by faith. And God loves to demonstrate his power in those who expect him to work in their lives.

So when facing a difficult circumstance—with money, relationships, or career and feel like the odds are against me or if I think my problem is overwhelming? What do I do? I need to turn to God, who defends me.

In summary:

I read In 2 Chronicles 20:21, how King Jehoshaphat demonstrated bold faith by sending singers to lead his army into battle, praising God in advance for the victory. This act of worship wasn’t just symbolic—it was a declaration of trust in God’s power before the outcome was visible. As the people sang, God caused their enemies to turn on each other, proving that faith-filled praise can unlock divine intervention. The lesson is clear: thanking God after a breakthrough shows gratitude, but praising Him before the breakthrough shows faith. When we trust God in the face of overwhelming odds, He not only fights for me but also uses my faith as a testimony to others.

Bottom line:

Praising God before the victory is an act of faith that invites His power to turn the battle in my favor.