Benefits in praying

I'm attempting to write a devotion about prayer as an introduction to our group's prayer request cards. I'm a little stuck on this notion that I want to include in my devotion: What are the benefits of prayer to the person who is praying? And can you back it all up with Scripture references, please? I've been searching the web and finding discussions about prayer by many denominations, and I want to be sure I have something biblical. Thank you!

If we are going to think about benefits of prayer for the person who is praying, I could suggest the following. It is God’s will that Christians pray for others (1 Timothy 2:1). The new self in Christians desires to follow God’s will (Psalm 40:8). When we do pray for others, we can be reminded that we are doing what God wants.

Another benefit for the person praying is seeing prayers answered. God promises to hear and answer our prayers according to his wisdom (1 John 5:14-15). It is encouraging for the person who prays to see an answer to prayer in someone else’s life. That encouragement can lead the person praying to become ever more zealous in approaching God in prayer “with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12).

Finally, a benefit for the person who is praying for others is that the person is becoming more selfless (Philippians 2:4).

I began this brief response with the word “if.” I did that because I usually don’t think about the benefits I can derive by praying for others. I realize there can be pure motives in finding joy and satisfaction in doing God’s will, but consciously focusing on the benefits I can derive by praying for others, or helping them in other ways, can easily lead me to have the wrong motive for such actions. When it comes to an opportunity to do what God says, I find it easier to take the “Nike approach” and just do it.

I hope I was able to give you some help for your devotion. God’s blessings to you and your group.