“I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God” (Oswald Chambers).

I don’t know if you can relate. Have you ever had someone that’s on your heart and your mind that you keep praying for day after day and nothing seems to change? Have you ever had the idea cross your mind that a particular person is beyond the reach of even God?

I have a list of people I’m praying for, as I’m sure everyone does. I wish I could say that I was super faithful about praying for everyone on my list every single day, but there are stretches where I forget. I’m thankful that God is not like me when it comes to persistence and people.

The truth of the matter is that I may never see the fruits of my prayers for people. I may never see the interior work that God is doing in the lives of those for whom I intercede. Just as I have been pleasantly shocked in the past to find out who has been touched by these posts of mine, so I may one day be as surprised to find out that someone has seen transformation and change because I was faithful to pray and not give up.

At times it’s hard to pray for people. It feels like there’s almost a physical resistance to my prayers. I sense an abnormal reluctance to pray, but I think if I can pray through those times, those may be the very breakthroughs I am seeking for other people. I know that Satan trembles when we pray in faith more than anything else we can do spiritually.

I’ve also learned that the more I pray for others, the more God actually changes me and my heart toward those for whom I pray. When I have nothing else to pray, I can always go to the prayer that never fails — Thy will be done.