Praying for someone is one of the most basic practices in Christian service.

We believe in God, we believe God cares for us, we believe in His promises, we believe He answers prayer so when someone has a need, we pray.

Even if you had no knowledge of the Bible’s teaching on prayer you could still offer up a prayer for someone in need.

But as you read the Bible, you discover that there are a number of different ways we can pray for someone.

PRAYING FOR SOMEONE AT A DISTANCE

Paul talks about offering up petitions and supplications.

1Timothy 2:1 “Therefore I exhort first of all that prayers, supplications, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men.”

All praying people do this naturally.

This can take different forms

For the Catholic, he will light a candle in a church

For Pentecostals, they will engage in active intercessory groups

This is satellite praying :

 I send up the prayer here, asking God to answer over there.

The problem comes with knowing how long do you continue praying for a person or a need at a distance ?

Do we pray just once or commit to keep praying for someone?  The prayer requests keep mounting.

PRAYING WITH SOMEONE

This is the most common form of prayer when we are involved in pastoral ministry.

It is close encounter satellite praying – I am  with a person and I send up a prayer to God asking God to minister to the person.

Quite often the person receiving prayer also prays as you pray.

It’s more a form of standing with someone rather than actually ministering to that person.

PRAYING AND MINISTERING TO SOMEONE

This comes with the laying on of hands where the pray-er is exercising faith ministering healing to the person. Mark 16:17,18

Impartation praying is where the prayer of faith imparts God’s anointing to the person in need.

Peter’s declaration to the lame man in Acts 3:6 “What I do have I give to you.”

It’s the solar panel prayer – receiving from God and communicating it to the person

PRAYING OVER SOMEONE

Declaring biblical truths and God’s promises over someone.

It’s the prayer of faith and authority over a passive person.

Spiritual warfare and deliverance often take this form of praying. It is a strong form of prayer that seeks to breakthrough spiritual resistance.

It is the jack-hammer prayer – there is hard rock to break

PRAYING AND RECEIVING WITH SOMEONE

This is praying with a person and helping the person receive directly from the Holy Spirit.

Particularly important in praying for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, healing and deliverance.

This also involves the laying on of hands.

This is the self-serve check-out praying – you‘re the lady who helps the person work out how to use the machine

Anyone involved in ministry needs to learn to prayer with people especially in this last way.

Why do we pray prayers of receiving with people ?

Because the Holy Spirit is Himself a GIFT and He is a GIFT GIVER.

Acts 2 :38 Peter said to the Jews gathered on the day of Pentecost « and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit »

Then Paul says « There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit. » Then he goes on to explain the 9 spiritual gifts.  1Corinthians 12 :6

So receiving from the Holy Spirit depends on our ability to receive a gift.

I played rugby in my youth. In rugby when you pass the ball to a teammate he must receive the ball, not clutch at it or he will drop it. To catch a high kick, you have to receive the ball and accompany it into you.

So it is with receiving from the Holy Spirit

PAUL & THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST IN EPHESUS Acts 19

Acts 19 :2 Paul asks the question of the disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus : « Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed ? »

The question isn’t « Has someone prayed with you for the Baptism with the Spirit ? »

Paul writing to the Galatians wrote : 

« Did you receive the Holy Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith ? »

Galatians 3:2

To receive the Holy Spirit and to receive a spiritual gift, the ability to receive is essential.

It doesn’t depend on how loud or how long the prayer is.

It depends on how receptive the person receiving prayer is.

When someone comes forward for prayer with arms crossed and eyes open he needs to be helped to be in a more receptive mode

That is why when praying for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, healing or receiving freedom in deliverance I don’t declare over the person biblical truths, nor do I minister to a passive person.

I talk with the person encouraging them in receiving what the Holy Spirit is doing.

I need to help them to get to the place of receiving.

Jesus said it : « pray believing that you have received » Mark 11 :24

THE ROLE OF THE PRAYING PERSON

My role as the pray-er is accompanying the person, helping them move from passivity to receptivity.

So I use the image of an empty glass receiving the water.

I say « don’t pray yourself or praise because - when you do that you’re giving, not receiving. Just let the Holy Spirit move on you. Be aware of His presence moving over you. »

How this works out :

With the Baptism with the Holy Spirit

Some just breakthrough in tongues spontaneously.

But more often than not the person is hesitant and passive waiting for something to happen to them.

Just praying in tongues over the person will not be helpful if the person is passive in the time of prayer.

Talking with the person as you pray will help the faith level to rise.

It is not saying « repeat after me. » as some misguided people do.

Otherwise you could be disappointed and them too. Like the guy I prayed for when a young pastor and encouraged him to speak out anything and he began to speak out quite fluently. So I rejoiced and afterwards I said « Praise God, did you realise you were speaking in tongues. And he replied « Well, not really, I was listing off all the racehorses I know. »

I would now say : “Just believe that the sounds you are making are from the Holy Spirit. Don’t struggle just let it flow out of you.”

With healing :

I find the key is talking with the person as the Holy Spirit’s anointing is moving on them.

Like the oil that gradually moves in a downward motion into the affected areas.

Sometimes I don’t even need to pray a prayer. The Holy Spirit is already working.

With deliverance :

 I speak words of authority against demonic spirits such as « I bind you in this person in the name of Jesus, I refuse to allow you to continue your evil work in this life, I expel you now in Jesus’ name. »

But I also talk with the person.

« Just let it go, it’s coming up with your breath, work with me in this. » « Jesus is setting you free. It’s coming up and out of you now. Let it go. It has no power to remain. »

When ministering deliverance don’t forget the person. You’re not just dealing with a demon.

With « receiving prayer », sometimes I don’t even need to pray because they’ve started receiving already.

Them receiving is more important than me praying.

Like the example of the woman with the issue of blood who touched Jesus and received. Jesus didn’t need to actually minister to her.

As you implement these principles when you pray with people you will learn to minister with the anointing.