Scripture:
1 John 5:16-19
If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
Observation:
This sure helped me understand a few things. First, I had to understand what he means by "a sin that does not lead to death". I learned that is when a man willfully turns his back on God. So, God gives us free will to make all our own decisions, even whether we choose to follow Jesus. And if a man chooses to turn his back on Him, God lets him do it, remember Free Will? But now I more confused. John then says that he is not saying that I should pray about that if I see it happen. Why not? It goes back to the free will thing. If I pray for God to save the man who diliberately chooses to walk away from God, He will do nothing to interfere. My prayer must be to knock Satan out of my friends way, to soften his heart, to ask God to make an opening for the truth to get in.
Prayer for those who commit sin is essential.
When I was born of God, which to me means "saved", the enemy could no longer harm me. As long as I choose to use God's armor that He gave to me. I am so happy to have God's armor, especially knowing that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. Thank you Jesus!
Application:
Pray for my brothers and sisters when they sin, be mindful of my prayers so they will be most effective. Keep God's armor close and ready for action at all times.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for giving me Your armor to protect myself from evil. Please give me the wisdom to recognize when the enemy is sqeezing his way into my life so I can break out the shield and sword. Thank you for giving me the words to pray for others and help make a difference in their lives. - Amen