Today is Veteran’s Day: thanks to all those who served, especially those who served in far more difficult circumstances than I did. It’s also my son Matthew’s birthday, and as I write this, we are planning to spend the day with him and his son Emerson in Breckenridge, Colorado.
We are looking at my friend Ray Bandi’s pattern for disciple-making through intentional relationships.
- Love
- Pray
- Model
- Teach
- Repeat
Today, we’re thinking about Pray. Ray writes:
Disciple-makers also pray for our disciples. Let’s picture that. Years ago, when I was single, I had the privilege of living with a godly couple so they could disciple me. One day while I was living with this couple, one of the men who had previously lived in their home stopped by for a visit. While he was there, he said this to me: “Ray, do you know the greatest benefit of living with LeRoy and Virginia?” Well, I could think of lots of benefits, but he said this: “When you live with LeRoy and Virginia, Virginia puts your name in her prayer notebook, and she prays for you … for life.” I lived with them in 1980. Virginia went home to the Lord in 2014. Now, I have no idea how many things God built into my life through her prayers over those 34 years. But I’m pretty sure that those things were many because that’s what disciple-makers do. We pray Christ-like character into the lives of our disciples. -Ray Bandi, emphases his
Virginia Eims was Ray’s role model for prayer. The Apostle Paul was all of our role model and shows us exactly how to pray for those we are discipling.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3.14 – 19, ESV)
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy…I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God. (Philippians 1.3, 4, 9 – 11, NLT)
We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. (Colossians 1.3, 9 – 11, NLT)