Asking people to pray

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

This past week a woman, Barbara Preston, from our little church group confronted me with the fact that Paul asked people to pray for him and I don't do that.

I turned to God with this, asking God ... Here is my report, which I sent to Barbara.

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Barbara:

There is one more questionable word ... when you compared me to Paul and said Paul asked for prayer, I already knew I looked very different from Paul in this and I look wrong.

I turned to God asking HIM about this.  I'm certainly willing to go another way.

The first thing I seemed to hear from God is that I am a prophet.  When you think of the prophets, they were not like Paul.  There is no example of a prophet asking people to pray for them that I can recall. (Both in OT and NT)

Second, I can't copy Paul. I have to be led by God.  Is there a scripture commanding us to ask other people for prayer?  I can't think of one.  If we are afflicted we are to pray.  James 5 ... I have been trying to teach people to have faith to pray themselves instead of going to others.

I was also reminded of how Jesus prayed over food.  But I thought Jesus did this to show the people that food is from God. (many people in those days thought manna was from Moses)  I certainly do not pray over my food unless I think there is something wrong with the food and then I'm fast to pray, "Please don't let this make me sick."

(I really believe Jesus prayed in front of the people over food so the people would realize their food is from God ...  Do you pray over a cookie when you eat it in afternoon?  Do you pray over a snack?  Most people do not.  If you think you have to pray over all food, then you should pray over all food.  I do not believe we are commanded to pray over food.)

I'm willing to change in all these matters and for that reason I took each of your points to God and asked HIM what I should do.

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Another thing Paul did was special miracles...Acts 19:11 ... 11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

I don't do this either.

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John the Baptist (prophet) did no miracles. (Elijah & Elisha did great miracles.)  I don't believe we have any record of John the Baptist asking the people to pray for him.  As a prophet John the Baptist was presenting another picture to try to show them sin and get repentance.

Our callings likely cause us to look different and to do different things.

It is like you were using these examples to judge me.  Did you take these to God and ask HIM about that which I was doing in comparison to Paul.  Or were these just idle questionings?

I suspect you are treading dangerous water with idle thinking.I remember the time Aaron and Miriam rose up against Moses.

Numbers 12 ... 1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married:for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 4 And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. 5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam:and they both came forth. 6 And he said, Hear now my words:If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold:wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? 9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed. 10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow:and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. 11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. 12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb. 13 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
14 And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. 15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days:and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again. 16 And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

Joan Boney