One way is with people. I have a list of nonbelievers whom I love and are important in my life that I've made part of this month long prayer journey. I seek their conversion desperately, not as someone looking for people he likes to join his team (I'm not the Miami Heat, and this isn't spiritual free agency), but as someone who wants to see their joy explode exponentially and their eternal fate to be secure. I love them, and I want great life for them.
Praying for them has changed how I see them and how I think about them. Most of the time, like most people I would guess, I see others in relation to their effect on me. It sounds terrible, but I think this is fairly universally true. My friends are my friends because they have something to offer me. This person shares my love of basketball, this person entertains me, this person is great to drink a beer with, this person makes my day more enjoyable, or this person treats my daughters well. Sure, I absolutely want to serve these people as well and be a person of value to them; but I think of them first in terms of how they affect my life. (I hope this is natural - otherwise I risk losing several friends with this blog post.)
Praying for them changes that. It makes me forget about me and see them the way God sees them. They are people of great intellect, passion, and ability; and they have so much to offer as a follower of Christ. More importantly, Christ has so much to offer to them.
I hope my prayer has as big of an impact on those I'm praying for as it does on me. I have become free to see greatness in their future, not great ways they can improve my life. In the end I believe that will make the joy of all of us greater.
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