Latest Devotion
How Can I Pray For You?
By: John Carrigan
Monday, February 2, 2026
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Someone once said, "God never wastes our tears." The idea behind that statement is we weep because we don't understand the purpose for our trials. Later, that sadness turns to joy when God reveals how He was working out things we couldn't see or understand.
Even when we can't see it, God is turning our suffering into a future testimony. Later, He will help us use our story to encourage someone else. That is a supernatural truth our world doesn’t believe... Why? Because most people don't believe in God anymore. Unbelievers don’t see God's hand anywhere; Christ followers see God's hand everywhere.
After salvation, we are continually transformed into a new creation. God is the Potter; we are the clay. He is sculpting us into His masterpiece, and He is holding our hand as He sculpts us. Being transformed may include some "growing pains" but our Heavenly Father is right there with us! Sharing our testimony can be as simple as telling someone how God got us through a tough moment, then telling them God is there for them too. Everyone may not have a dramatic salvation testimony, but we all have a "who I was before I met Jesus" story.
One of our Pastors recently said he'd never had anyone turn down prayer after they shared a need they had. That reminded me of the free car washes we did to raise money for our mission trip. Our team washed cars free of charge, but we made it known that donations to our mission trip were being accepted. Those fundraisers were very successful, but the best part was our interactions with the customers.
While we washed, someone would gently ask the driver if they had any prayer needs. Very few of them refused (and we prayed for them anyway after they left) and most people willingly accepted our prayers. As they shared their lives, they poured out their hearts and their tears. We prayed 1:1, we prayed in small groups, but each time we prayed, there was someone from our team who’d experienced something similar. That common ground helped them share the encouragement and hope they received from God with others.
When someone shares a prayer need, be willing to pray with them "on the spot" instead of later. Your prayers will glorify God, and they may even draw that person closer to Christ!