This is an entry I originally posted on 1 April, 2007:

I was reading My Utmost for His Highest yesterday and I came across this passage:

We see where other people are failing, and then we take our discernment and turn it into comments of ridicule and criticism, instead of turning it into intercession on their behalf.

Simply put, this is about how God allows us to see the flaws in others' character so that we will have a starting point for our prayers on their behalf. Isn't that awesome? We were designed to support those around us with our prayers, but so often we have the best intentions and don't know where to start - so God shows us where to start!

I guess that would apply to ourselves as well - if we see something amiss in our own lives that's perfect for bringing to God. And if you're anything like me, you're already doing that on a regular basis... but it's so much easier to see the flaws in the people around us... so we can be praying for them and trust that they're able to find a thing or two about us worth praying for as well.

But more often than not we decide to judge them instead.

"And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?" - Matthew7:3 (NLT) And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them,"Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7 (RSV)

Jesus was very clear on how He felt about judging and He stated more than once that it was the job of the Father to judge - not us... even His own authority to judge came from the Father!

Even so, somehow Satan is able to convince us to carry out his role of Accuser in the lives of others and it allows us to ignore the blemishes in our own lives, if only for a moment.  Maybe it's time we gave that job back to Satan and reclaimed the job God gave us in the first place.

So go ahead - look at the people around you and pick out every little thing about them that is flawed and in need of change... and then bring them to God.  With this method of prayer, I'm sure no one will ever run out of things to pray for and once you know God's on the job, it'll free you up to focus on the positive in others' lives.