The Bible shows us the importance of praying for fellow believers. I le Feagaiga Fou, we read that Jesus and the apostles prayed for their fellow believers. Sometimes praying for fellow believers can be of vital importance. If Christians become aware of the power of prayer and pray for those, whom God has brought on their way and put in their spirit, then great things will happen. Although many believers promise, that they will pray for others, only a few of them really keep their promise and do what they say. O lea la, don’t be too hasty with the words you speak and the promise(s) you make. Don’t be led by your emotions and feelings during a conversation, but be quiet and listen and be led by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus prayed for those, whom God had given Him
Jesus didn’t pray for the world. But Jesus prayed for those, whom the Father had given Him. He prayed for those, who believed in Him and belonged to the Father. Jesus said to the Father, that He had guarded and ensured that none of them had been lost, except for Jude. But Jesus knew in advance, o le a tupu lenei mea, in order that the scriptures would be fulfilled.
Jesus didn’t pray and asked the Father, that He would take the believers out of this world. But Jesus prayed to the Father, that He would keep them from evil. Jesus prayed:
Latou te le o le lalolagi, Tusa lava pe ou te le o le lalolagi. Faapaiaina i Latou e ala i Lau Mea Moni: O lau upu o le mea moni lea. E pei ona e aumaia au i le lalolagi, tusa lava pe na ou lafoina foi i le lalolagi. Ma mo o latou mea ou te faʻapaʻiaina aʻu lava, ina ia faapaiaina i latou i le mea moni.
Ou te le tatalo foi mo na o i latou nei, ae mo i latou foi o e faatuatua ia te au ona o la latou upu; O latou uma e mafai ona tasi; pei o oe, Tama, faatufugaga i totonu ia te au, o au foi ia te oe, ina ia tasi foi i latou ia te i tatou: ina ia talitonu le lalolagi ua e auina mai au.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; ina ia tasi latou, e pei lava ona tasi i tatou: I totonu o i latou, ma o oe i totonu ia te au, ina ia mafai ona faia atoatoa i le tasi; ina ia iloa foi e le lalolagi ua e auina mai au, Ma na e alofa ia i latou, e pei ona e alofa mai ia te au.
Tama, O le a ou faia foi latou, o lē na e foa‘iina mai ‘iā te a‘u, ia e faatasi ma au i le mea ou te i ai; ina ia latou vaai i loʼu mamalu, ua e foaiina mai ia te au: auā na e alofa mai ‘iā te a‘u a o le‘i fa‘avaeina le lalolagi. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast (Ioane 17:16-26)
Jesus not only prayed for the believers, who were with Him, but He also prayed for the believers, who would believe on Him, by the preaching of the word, and also become part of God’s people and belong to Him.
Jesus prayed for Peter
Ma Fai mai le Alii, Simon, Simon, faauta, Ua finagalo Satani ia ia te oe, e mafai ona ia sifi ai ia te oe o le saito: Ae sa ou tatalo mo oe, e le uma lou faatuatua: ma pe a e liua, Faamalosi Ou Uso. (Luka 22:31-32)
Jesus made intercession for Simon Peter; for what would take place in the future. Na silafia e Iesu, that the devil wanted to have Simon Peter and shift him as wheat. Therefore Jesus prayed for Simon Peter, that despite the fact that he denied Jesus Christ, his faith wouldn’t fail. And Jesus’s prayer was answered (Faitau foi: Simona Peteru, O Le Tagata na Alofa ia Iesu).
Because on the day of Penetekoso, the day of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the new creation; O le Ekalesia, Peter was the one, who took the lead among the disciples of Jesus.
Peter witnessed boldly in public of Jesus the Christ the Son of the living God. And his fellow believers followed in his footsteps and also witnessed of Jesus the Christ; Son of the living God (Faitau foi: E te taʻutaʻu atu Iesu pe e te faafitia Iesu i luma o tamaloloa?).
The Holy Spirit knows exactly what is going to happen in the future. He shall reveal the future to the believers, so that the believers become proactive and pray for fellow believers, and things and matters, that will take place in the future.
The apostles prayed for their fellow believers
The letters of Paul, Iakopo, and John show us, that the apostles also prayed for the saints, e pei lava o Iesu. They didn’t cease to pray for their fellow believers, because they knew the power of prayer and the importance of perseverance in praying for fellow believers (Faitau foi: O le manaomia o le tatalo faatauanau?).
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. (Roma 1:9)
O le taimi la o tatou a o sui o apoapoaiga mo Keriso, E peiseai na ia te oe e le Atua: Tatou tatalo ia oe i le sui o Keriso, Ia elelei Outou ma le Atua. Ia o ia e fai o ia, O Ai na Le Iloa Auai; Ina ia mafai ona avea i tatou ma amiotonu a le Atua ia te ia (2 Korinito 5:20-21)
Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection (2 Korinito 13:7-9)
O le mea lea o a'u foi, ina ua ou faalogo i lo outou faatuatua i le Alii o Iesu, ma le alofa i le au paia uma, Aua e te tuua le faafetai mo oe, o lo‘o ta‘ua fo‘i ‘outou i a‘u tatalo; O le Atua o lo tatou Alii o Iesu Keriso, o le Tamā o le mamalu, e mafai ona tuuina atu ia te outou le agaga o le poto ma faaaliga i le malamalama ia te Ia: O mata o lou malamalama e faʻamalamalamaina; ina ia outou iloa po o le a le faamoemoe o Lona valaauina, ma le tele o le mamalu o lona tofi i le au paia, Ma o le a le silisiliese o Lona mana ia i tatou-o e talitonu, e tusa ma le galuega a Lona mana tele, Le mea na Ia faia ia Keriso, ina ua Ia toe faatuina mai o Ia nai e ua oti, ma tuu o Ia i Lona lava aao taumatau i mea o i le lagi, E sili atu i malo uma, ma le Malosiaga, ma atonu, ma le pule, ma igoa uma e igoa, e le gata i lenei lalolagi, ae faapea foi i le mea o le a oo mai: Ma ua ia tuuina mea uma i lalo o Ona vae, ma tuuina atu o Ia e fai ma Ulu o mea uma lava i le ekalesia, O lona tino lea, o le tumu o Ia o le na te faatumuina mea uma i tagata uma (Efeso 1:15-22)
And this I pray, that you love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that you may approve things that are excellent
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God (Filipi 1:9-11)
We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, Mo le faamoemoe ua teuina mo outou i le lagi, o mea na ‘outou fa‘alogo ai muamua i le ‘upu moni o le tala lelei (Kolose 1:3-5)
Ona o lenei foi tatou, talu mai le aso na matou faalogo ai, aua le mapu le tatalo mo outou, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, ia fua mai i galuega lelei uma lava, ma faateleina i le malamalama o le Atua; Faamalosi i mea uma, E tusa ai ma lona mana mamalu, i le onosaʻi ma le onosaʻi ma fiafia i le fiafia; O le avatua faafetai i le Tama, Lea ua fai mai i matou e feiloai i le tofi o le Au Paia i le malamalama: O ai na laveaʻi mai ia i matou mai le mana o le pogisa, ma ua faaliliuina i tatou i le malo o lona atalii pele (Kolose 1:9-13)
Epaphras, O ai se tasi o outou, O Se Auauna a Keriso, saluteth you, Ia galue i taimi uma le fiafia mo oe i tatalo, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God (Kolose 4:12)
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father (1 Tesalonia 1:2-3)
Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? (1 Tesalonia 3:10)
And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it (1 Tesalonia 5:23-24)
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Tesalonia 1:11-12)
Ou te faafetai i le Atua, o lē ‘ou te ‘au‘auna i ai mai i o‘u tamā ma le loto fuatiaifo mamā, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day (2 Timoteo 1:3)
I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus (Filemoni 1:4-6)
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (Iakopo 5:16)
Pele, I wish (tatalo) above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth (3 Ioane 1:2)
Praying for the leaders of the church
In Paul’s letters, we not only read that he prayed for his fellow believers, but we also read that Paul asked his fellow believers to remember him and pray for him and those, who were with him. Paul asked them for prayer, so that they would preach the word in boldness, that God would open a door of utterance, Ia tautala le mea lilo o Keriso, that the word of the Lord would have free course and be glorified, that they would be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all men have faith, that he would be delivered from them that did not believe in Judea, and that his service for Jerusalem would be accepted of the saints, and that they would return to the saints and strengthen them and perfect that which was lacking in their faith,
Now I beseech you, Uso, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. (Roma 15:30-32)
O lē na lavea'iina i matou mai le oti tele, ma e laveai mai: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; Ye also helping together by prayer for us, ‘ina ‘ia fa‘afetaia mai e le to‘atele mo i tatou le meaalofa ‘ua foa‘iina mai e tagata e to‘atele. (2 Korinito 1:10-11)
Faaauau i le tatalo, ma matamata i le tutusa ma le faafetai; Mathe tatalo foi mo matou, o le a tatalaina le Atua ia te i tatou se faitotoʻa o faʻamatalaga, Ia tautala le mea lilo o Keriso, O le mea lea ou te i ai foi: That I may make it manifest, e pei ona tatau ona ou tautala ai (Kolose 4:2-4)
Uso e, pray for us(1 Tesalonia 5:25)
Mulimuli ane, Uso, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith (2 Tesalonia 3:1-2)
Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say. But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you (Filemoni 1:21-22)
Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner (Eperu 13:18-19)
Paul and the other apostles were no loners, but they were part of the church of Jesus Christ. They knew that, together with their fellow believers they were the church on this earth. They were united in spirit, e le Agaga. And to preach and keep the gospel and the truth of Jesus Christ and the power of the cross, pure, and protect the church from Sese aoaoga faavae ma faiaoga, who tried to enter and affect the church, prayer was needed. E ala i le tatalo, they watched and stayed awake in the spirit (Faitau foi: O le a le uiga o le fetalaiga a Iesu i faitotoa o seoli e le manumalo i La'u Ekalesia?).
The church prayed for Peter
When King Herod stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church, and killed James, and saw that it pleased the Jews, King Herod took Peter also and put Peter in prison. Ona o le mea moni, that it was the feast of unleavened bread, he intended to bring forth Peter to the people after Easter. While Peter was in prison, the church was praying without ceasing to God for Peter.
In the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, many believers were gathered together and prayed. While they were praying, Peter knocked on the door of the gate. When a damsel came to see who was knocking and heard Peter’s voice, she didn’t open the gate for gladness, but she ran in and told the others how Peter stood before the gate. They said to the damsel that she was mad, but when she constantly affirmed that it was so, they said it was his angel. But Peter kept knocking and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter witnessed and declared how the Lord had brought him out of prison (Galuega 12: 1-19).
Through the prayer of the congregation for Peter, the Lord had sent an angel to prison and brought him out of prison. If his fellow believers and sisters had been passive, too busy with themselves, and had not prayed, maybe Peter would also have been killed, just like James. That’s why the church of Jesus Christ needs to pray and keep praying and don’t become passive in prayer.
If Christians would realize the importance of prayer and believe in the Mana o le Tatalo, great things will happen. But if you pray out of habit or some kind of religious duty, without believing that what you pray will come to pass, then nothing much will happen. Because praying without faith shall not accomplish anything.
This also applies to carnal prayers, which are led by the will of man. They shall not avail much either. But when you pray after the Spirit and be led by Him and pray after His will and speak His words, it shall avail much. Because God will empower your words, which are according to His will.
There is no distance in the spiritual realm
When you pray for fellow believers, it’s important to know, that there is no distance in the spiritual realm. The devil wants you to believe, that you can’t do much from a distance and that it’s useless to pray. But the devil only tells you that, because he wants to make you inactive, especially when it comes to prayer. O le mea moni o le, that there is no distance in the spiritual realm.
O se tagata, who prays from a repented and devoted heart to God and prays His words, shall avail much. It’s important to know this and to believe this, so that you can pray in faith.
Let no one make you believe that praying from a distance makes no sense and can’t accomplish anything. O lenei, ete iloa faaperetania, that when someone says this, you know where these words come from.
If praying from a distance is useless, makes no sense, and doesn’t accomplish anything, then why did Paul ask the church to pray for him and for those, who were with him? Through prayer and by praying in the Spirit, Paul was connected to the church.
In Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, we read that when the church was gathered, the spirit of Paul was present (1 Korinito 5:4). O lea la, you see that there is no distance in the spiritual realm.
E taua, that you are not only focused on your fellow believers in your area, aulotu, and country, but that you also pray for your fellow brothers and sisters abroad. Aemaise lava, now that you know that distance plays no part when you pray.
Pray for those, who live in countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith in Christ.
Don’t become passive, but be and stay active in the spirit. Stay awake and watch and don’t give up! Persevere and keep praying for fellow believers, so that they will be kept from the deceptions and temptations of the devil, and that they don’t deviate from the Word, but persevere and keep standing on the Word.
‘Ia fai ma masima o le lalolagi’
