Everyone knows the Golden Rule, right? It’s the command Jesus gave to His followers, as recorded in Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Something interesting (to me, at least) happened as I encountered those memorable words in my evening Bible reading. Because I not only read the Bible regularly, but try also to pray as I read, it dawned on me that the Golden Rule applies to the way I pray as well. That may not seem surprising to you—after all, the Golden Rule applies to all of life, right? Thoughts, words and actions. But it was a revelation to me.

I pondered whether I sometimes break the Golden Rule when I pray for others. Or don’t pray for them. So, in my prayers that night, I had a little talk with God. It went something like this:

Me: Lord, do I pray for others as I would have others pray for me?

God: How do you want others to pray for you? (He often answers my questions with questions).

Me: Well, I want people to pray regularly for me. Especially when I’m in some kind of crisis or special need.

God: So, do you think that’s how you should pray?

Me: Yes, of course. And when I ask for prayer, I hope they don’t just say “I’ll pray for you,” and then forget about it.

God: So, you should be faithful to pray when you say you will?

Me: Yes. Although I do forget sometimes.

God: So, should you pray immediately, whenever possible? And do whatever you can to remind yourself of those who’ve asked for prayer?

Me: Yes.

God: How else do you want others to pray for you?

Me: I think I want them to ask for more information, so they can pray more specifically for me.

God: So, is that how you might pray for others?

Me: Yes.

God: Anything else?

Me: I want people to pray good things for me.

God: Of course you do.

Me: But sometimes I feel like people are judging or criticizing me when they pray. You know, a sort of, “God, make him a better person.”

God: You don’t want to be a better person?

Me: You know I do. I just don’t like it when others’ prayers feel like gossip or criticism.

God: So you’re saying you shouldn’t do that when you pray for others?

Me: Right.

God: Keep that in mind, then.

Me: I will. And thank you.

God: Anytime.

That’s not an exact transcription, of course. And I should stress that my side of the conversation was mostly audible, but God’s wasn’t. Still, it was, as I said, a revelation for me to contemplate praying for others as I would have others pray for me. I’m sure God isn’t done refining me in that area (among many others), but it’s already having an effect.

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