January 29

God, whom I serve with my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you — Rom 1:9 BSB

We don’t pray for others as much as we should. When we pray alone, there’s a tendency to focus only on ourselves. But selfishness in prayer is especially unworthy. We must pray for our friends, no matter how much we already do for them in other ways. If we neglect to pray for them, we have failed in the most important part of friendship.

We should also think carefully about what we pray for our friends. When they are sick, we may pray for their recovery but forget to ask that their suffering brings spiritual growth. Our prayers for loved ones should always include God’s best for them—that His will be done, that they grow in grace, and that the image of Christ is formed in their lives.