May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. (Psalm 67:1-2)
There's no doubt that we pray for ourselves. And there's nothing wrong with praying for yourself. We also pray for other people, and that's also good. But have you ever prayed that God would bless you so that the other people would benefit?
Israel's mission in the world was to be a nation of priests, to be a people who would mediate God's presence to the rest of mankind. They were God's chosen and blessed people, certainly. But they were blessed so that they could be a blessing to others. The nations were to look on Israel and marvel at their God. That was their mission, and it is ours, as well. For Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
So pray for blessings for yourself and your family and your church, yes. Pray for others, too. But also pray that God would bless us so that others would see how great is our God and be drawn to him. In other words, pray that his glory would shine through you.
Who are you praying for today?
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