“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 NIV).
When I was in Girl Scouts, I learned about the buddy system. In a troop of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, we were never allowed to go anywhere without a companion, especially when we were camping or going on a trip somewhere. Imagine having to wake up someone in the next bunk when the call of nature hits in the middle of the night. Even if we were moving together as a troop, such as hiking along a trail, the adult leaders would call out, “Buddy up!” and we would sort ourselves into pairs.
Walking with a buddy was for safety, of course, and one of the most basic Girl Scout policies that leaders used. No doubt there are other organizations that employ the same strategy to help individuals “carry each other’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2a). Humans are hard-wired by God for companionship and support so that even if it is not mandated, people will seek out someone with whom they feel a connection. When my son Jim was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, he referred to those closest to him as his “battle buddies,” soldiers who had shared the same dangers, those he could rely on the most.
In our world today, Christians are involved in spiritual warfare, and we too seek out friends to help us carry our burdens. Our best “battle buddy” is Jesus, who endured existence as a human while still completely divine. Our Lord surrounded Himself with twelve buddies (even though one was a dud), followers who provided companionship, showing up sometimes even when Jesus sought solitude to pray (Mark 1:35-37). They needed a buddy, too.
One situation for which we need a helpful companion is a time of trouble or uncertainty. That’s when we ask those closest to us to pray for us. Naturally we should already be reaching out to God for ourselves, but Scripture also urges us to involve human companions along the journey: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). Like hikers along a difficult trail, we share the load through prayer, giving some relief that another person (or several) is toting part of the heavy load.
Last week I mentioned that I was in a quandary, the mental equivalent to quicksand. We all know from old Tarzan movies that when you’re sinking in a patch of quicksand, the more you struggle frantically, the faster you sink. Furthermore, you need a buddy to extend a stick or a rope and pull you out. A spiritual dilemma often has the same effect as quicksand—thrashing about with worry, trying to solve the problem on your own, only makes you sink deeper, and where’s someone to toss you that jungle vine to help you get free?
With the help of the Lord and some prayer warriors, you can get free of that funk that is dragging you down. Prayer partners (what we Christians often call them) can provide us some leverage to survive the jungle quicksand that Satan puts in our way. As the apostle Paul urges, “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Eph. 6:18). We should be actively looking for believers who need a battle buddy to come alongside to pray. Indeed, we must pray for believers we don’t even know, Christians all over the world, some of whom suffer greatly for their faith—“all the Lord’s people.”
I am grateful to those who pray with me and for me, and I want to be the kind of believer who will “be alert and always keep on praying.” Having a battle buddy or two beside me gives me “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Phil. 4:7) even when I don’t have the answers yet. Interceding for others reminds me of two important principles of my faith. The first principle is that God is in control; I am praying for His will to work out the details. Such is the strength that our faith can give us, strength and comfort and joy that comes from our Lord.
The second blessing we receive through involvement in intercessory prayer is that we are obeying “the law of Christ.” Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love God completely and that the second is to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-40). Jesus prayed for His disciples, the needy, the lost, and He even looked forward and prayed for us (John 17). What better way to love those around you than to pray for them, to ask God to draw them closer to Himself, to seek His peace in the midst of their storms?
Look for someone who needs a battle buddy of prayer. You don’t have to know the details to bring that believer before the throne of grace. And I’ll be praying for you, too.
