Prayer is a powerful tool to be closer to God. Although prayer was often accompanied by burnt sacrifices and offerings in the Old Testament, its main purpose is primarily communication to God. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ built on this foundation when He said men should always pray and not faint.
If prayer is good to be closer to God, prayer can also be used for the benefit of others. The Bible calls this kind of prayer intercession. God’s prophets including Moses, Isaiah and Elijah did a lot of intercessory prayers for the people. The goal of this kind of prayer is to help others.
Having an active and consistent prayer life is truly a blessing for any Christian. But it is also a must for all believers to pray for others’ needs as well. One of the most important things we should pray about is the salvation of lost souls.