In this episode, I talk about the challenge of intercession—praying not only for ourselves but for others, including those who are difficult to love. Drawing from 1 Peter and Romans, I share how intercession stretches our faith, calls us to forgiveness, and teaches us to love with God’s patience and compassion.
In this episode of Chai Beauty, I reflect on Session Six of the When You Pray Bible study, which focuses on interceding for others in prayer. While it’s easy to pray for friends, intercession often challenges us most when it involves those who are difficult to love or those we’ve been separated from.
I share how scriptures like 1 Peter 5:8–11 and Romans remind us that suffering is universal—and that God calls us to stand firm in faith by lifting others up, even in our own trials. Through personal stories and lessons, I explore the tension between selfishness and obedience, what it means to truly love with patience, and why forgiveness and reconciliation matter in God’s eyes.
We’ll explore:
Why interceding can feel harder than personal prayer
Learning to pray for those who challenge us
The privilege of caring for others as God cares for us
Why forgiveness is for you, and reconciliation is for us
Living out patient, protective, and unconditional Christian love
💬 Question for You:
Who is God asking you to intercede for in this season—and how can you pray blessings over their life?
Hi, I'm so happy you're here. Welcome to Chai Beauty, where I get to share my thoughts, my dreams, my aspirations, my visions for the future. And guess what? You get to be along for this journey because we are in this together.
So as I continue my process, I realized that the first three of the sessions, well technically we're in session six, so I would say the first five sessions like really focusing on you and. That allowed me to really like, again, sit with those feelings, figure out what I'm doing right, what I need help with on what's in my heart that I may not even know myself or it hasn't been brought to my attention because I believe as a person, like there's some people that naturally are just want to get better.
Um, and so we ask for feedback, but. You don't give everyone your full self. Um, well, at least I don't give everyone my full self. There are just things that ebb and flow. There's different seasons, different nuances. So like it's hard to give your whole self and for me to say when they say you knitting, um, knit together.
And God knew you. Um, he knows your full self and he even knows who you're going to become. And I thought about that and I thought about like as a person and me at 28, trying to figure out who I am, what I like, what I don't like. I felt at the beginning of my twenties. I knew myself. Then life happened, and then I was changing like every three months, like what I, like three months ago, I don't like now.
So it became a ebb and flow. Then I had a, a season of rest, active of rest. So I paused for two years and I kind of slowed down and I, I kind lean, I lean more into God. Like I think I was like probably like a level I. Two with God. Now I'm like a level three, going to four. I pretty much, I will probably never get to level five, um, just because like, I don't think you'll get that until you, like, you take your last breath.
And so to say that, um, I am reminding you of the scripture, which is one Peter five in uh, verse eight through 11. He says, uh. Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The devil is poised to pounce and will like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only one plunging into these hard times.
It's the same with Christians all over the world, so keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last long. It won't. We long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ eternal and glorious plans, they are we'll have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word.
Yes, he does. And the reason that stood out to me in particular is 'cause session six is about interceding. And for me that was very hard because it says in the Bible that. All Christians around the world are suffering. They are plunged into hard times. And when we're punched into hard times, how can I be punched into hard times?
And you still want me to pray for someone else? And that selfishness and that flesh of me is like, I can't, like I'm trying to build this, uh, podcast. I'm trying to write this book. I'm trying to save money. I'm trying to. Figure out what is love. Like do what? Like, I know we're supposed to go out two by two, but who's my person?
And you want me to pray for somebody also one of your kids? God, I'm having a really difficult time. Like we are not passing like critical conversation. And I personally just believe they don't have critical accountability. Right. And you want me to pray for them? You want me to level them? You want me to show them patience.
You want me not to be envy? You want me like all these things Lord. And it's hard. So how do I intercede for somebody when it's so hard?
And we're now. In a moment of, of interceding, and they're like five, like throughout this book, it talks about like five things, right? That you need to do. Again, I'm just gonna encourage you to read this book, um, to get you a foundation in prayer, because if the only thing we could do is just pray, then you need to have all the tools and the resources.
It's like going to, like I said, in a meeting, uh, it's like going to work with the onboarding and you just throw the. The templates, the SOPs, in your following, you're gonna say you can wing it when there are people who have done it longer than you, that you can sit under and get mentorship. And so I felt this book was a very much like if you don't have a mentor, you don't have somebody that can disciple you, or you're just on this journey with you and God alone.
And you're looking for tools. This is a great book, but one of the things she talks about throughout this, this session in particular is Ephesians. Um, and so when I'm thinking about interceding, it's easier to do it with a friend. It's harder to do it with a person that challenges you. And I'm going through that season now where it's like I had to take a week off.
From giving this person access to be like, okay, God, I've heard you three times. I have to pray for this person. I don't want to do it. I frankly would do something else. Right? And that's not the way of God. Like that's not even where he wants you to lie. Right? And so. Again, she goes through five things that you must do.
I'm not really gonna speak on those things, but I'm gonna speak on the questions that she asked me. Who are you separated from? And who in my life is hard to love? Because sometimes you are the person that's hard to love, right? And if God is such a generous guy who has great plans for us, eternal and Inglorious plans, he's gonna put us together and put us on our feet.
Why would we not want the person that's we're separated from? And the person that is hard to love not to have those things. And I'm reminded of a season where my grandmother, like I was on hard times, um, and I needed a caretaker and my grandmother looked at me and this was so impactful. She said, it's a privilege and an honor to take care of you.
Um. And that's the reality of it. It is a privilege and a honor to take care of someone. And what that means is God sees their vulnerability, he knows their secrets. We're going back to like you were formed in his woman. He knew your name before you were born. And if he knows all these things, he sometimes knows that you are like he can use anybody, but he knows you are the person that that person needs at that time, in that moment.
Right, and that could be difficult when you don't have the big picture. And it could be that like. You have to limit your access and sometimes you just have to lean into God and see this person every day. I don't know, like I am still trying to figure it out, but I did know that as I've learned in these last sessions, I now know how to pray.
I now know how to limit. I now know how to pray with admiration. I now know how to pray With petition and Thanksgiving I. Even when I don't know anything and all I can do is pray the Lord's Prayer, it's better than just looking at that person and being like, what is wrong with you? Why is this so difficult for you?
Um, and I just don't get it right. And I think that's the beauty of this book because again, you learning your foundation and then it's time to bring someone else in. It is time to be like one. Plus one equals two. So like me, one, I'm still growing. I will grow until I will continue to grow to my last breath.
But now I gotta pull somebody in and I may not have a mentor or being disciple, but I can lean on to God and ask God for good counseling. I can lean on God and ask for good wisdom. I can lean on God and ask for knowledge. I can lean on. God for all these things that he knows and he can implement and put into my life.
Um, and that sometime can. Cause you to be uncomfortable. It can cause you to feel that you are not worthy. It does feel that this person should know more than you. And I'm not disagreeing at all, but I do encourage you 'cause I'm a reactive person. So like I like, I like a solution, I like a problem, and then I like to solve it.
And then I like to move on. However. I, I'm never in the moment. I'm always looking for the next thing, and that's not healthy either. And then in some relationship it just requires time. My grandmother always says, time heals all wounds. And that is true. Everything will eventually heal. Or scab over and it won't affect you as much, but there will always be a remembrance of that pain in some way or so faction.
And when you have that remembrance of that pain, it is your choice to forgive and re uh, and forgiveness is for you. And reconciliation is for us. So the reconciliation, I'm in Romans now where it says if it's possible. To live in harmony with a person. And why would it not be possible? Like you are not the judge, you're not the jury.
You have to go on God for your thoughts, your, your sin. The quiet ones that you don't, you don't think anybody knows about, or the big ones that everybody knows about. The public defeat, the private defeat, the heart posture. You have to go to God for that. And if you are struggling, you can only imagine what that person that's hard to love and you are separating yourself for is going through as well.
Not saying that their struggle or their sin is easier, but they could potentially feel the same way you feel. And so in this moment, as I talk and I understand that everything I'm going through this person could potentially be going through as well. And so I have to learn how to love like God. That Christian Love, that patient, love that.
No wrongdoing, love, no collecting wrongdoing art, which is hard, that protection love, like I have to know that there is some good in what I'm doing and that it is okay to. To feel like it is challenging and it is hard and I need to separate. But in those moments of being feeling like you need to separate from somebody, I encourage you to actually to lean more on them and pray for them.
And pray for them in blessings and favor and, and pray that they succeed in everything they do. Pray that they are healed and they learn that God is a deep comforter. Pray that they know that God is their friend and also. I encourage you to be vulnerable and ask somebody to pray for you too, because it's hard and it's never easy.
Thank you. Thank you for all the support. I see it and I am growing mighty, and I have some news. I have done a lot of projects. Since I've been gone, I would like you to visit my website, subscribe to my Spotify, and go to my Patreon account. It's Chai OnCore Beauty, just like this podcast so you can get all the latest updates.
I can't wait to see you there because we are in this together, my friend. I look forward to seeing.