I've been saying this a lot lately. I've been typing it to blog friends. I've been saying it to real life friends. I've been writing it in cards. I've been saying it a lot. Then I saw this blog, and I felt I needed to think about it some more. Do I mean what I say, when I say I will pray?
I believe prayer is a powerful thing. I believe intercessory prayer is a super duper powerful thing. When I tell someone I will pray for them, I try to do it immediately. I wish I had the nerve to pray with a person, out loud, when I tell them I will pray for them, in person. I think I've only done that once or twice. I'm just not comfortable doing that. However, I don't think this makes my prayers any less powerful. And, what if the only time I pray for the person I've agreed to pray for is this one time? Is this not good enough? When I said I would pray, did I mean I would pray every day? Does my prayer need to be in a certain form to be a legitimate prayer? I don't think so. Lastly, what if I don't pray for the person I said I would pray for? What if I forget? Does this make me a liar? Or, does the agreement to pray count for something?
I used to pray more often and on a regular schedule. I don't do that now. Sorry, but true. I think this is why I'm eager to pray for people, when they ask for prayer. It gives me a reason to pray. I used to pray for one thing, for myself, over and over and over. God didn't answer this prayer. So, I more or less stopped praying, for myself. It wasn't that I thought God didn't hear my prayer. It was more like, I thought, God didn't want to answer my prayer, for whatever reason. The biggest reason, I thought, was because I had been too sinful and I had not confessed all my sins. I know this most likely is not the reason, but this is what I thought.
Now, intercessory prayer, I think, is a different animal. I'm not praying for myself. There is no hint of selfishness in these prayers. Even though I may have never met those I'm praying for in person, I have faith that the God I serve knows them intimately. I have faith that the God I believe in and trust is the same God those I pray for believe in and trust. It connects us. It links us together. Even if we never meet on this Earth, we are connected through God. Praying for other people strengthens my faith in God. I am grateful for the opportunity to pray for others. It makes me glad when I'm asked. It feels authentic when I offer.
I hear others say they will keep people in their thoughts. I don't know if this means they don't want to say they don't pray or it means they don't want anyone to think they believe in God or a higher power. I don't think it is more authentic than saying they will pray. I do understand the fear of being thought of as a Christian. If you admit to being a Christian, in certain company, you may be looked at with a raised eyebrow. I'm not sure what keeping a person in one's thoughts can do for anyone, but there you have it.
I have been praying for others a lot, lately. I'm praying for you, Brandee. I'm praying for you, Lynn. I am praying for you Em. I'm praying for you, Elizabeth. I am praying for you, Jan. I'm praying for you Lynne and Ellye. I'm praying for you Linda. I am praying for you, Kati. I'm praying for you, Dan. Thank you all for allowing me to pray for you. Thank you for reminding me the God we love cares about us and answers the prayers of our fellow believers.
If you find yourself with a desire to pray, feel free to pray for me or any of the names listed above. I'd love to have other believers holding me up to God in prayer. I've got some real fears about the new turn my life is taking. I'd love to be able to give these fears away. I'd love to let them go. :)
I believe prayer is a powerful thing. I believe intercessory prayer is a super duper powerful thing. When I tell someone I will pray for them, I try to do it immediately. I wish I had the nerve to pray with a person, out loud, when I tell them I will pray for them, in person. I think I've only done that once or twice. I'm just not comfortable doing that. However, I don't think this makes my prayers any less powerful. And, what if the only time I pray for the person I've agreed to pray for is this one time? Is this not good enough? When I said I would pray, did I mean I would pray every day? Does my prayer need to be in a certain form to be a legitimate prayer? I don't think so. Lastly, what if I don't pray for the person I said I would pray for? What if I forget? Does this make me a liar? Or, does the agreement to pray count for something?
I used to pray more often and on a regular schedule. I don't do that now. Sorry, but true. I think this is why I'm eager to pray for people, when they ask for prayer. It gives me a reason to pray. I used to pray for one thing, for myself, over and over and over. God didn't answer this prayer. So, I more or less stopped praying, for myself. It wasn't that I thought God didn't hear my prayer. It was more like, I thought, God didn't want to answer my prayer, for whatever reason. The biggest reason, I thought, was because I had been too sinful and I had not confessed all my sins. I know this most likely is not the reason, but this is what I thought.
Now, intercessory prayer, I think, is a different animal. I'm not praying for myself. There is no hint of selfishness in these prayers. Even though I may have never met those I'm praying for in person, I have faith that the God I serve knows them intimately. I have faith that the God I believe in and trust is the same God those I pray for believe in and trust. It connects us. It links us together. Even if we never meet on this Earth, we are connected through God. Praying for other people strengthens my faith in God. I am grateful for the opportunity to pray for others. It makes me glad when I'm asked. It feels authentic when I offer.
I hear others say they will keep people in their thoughts. I don't know if this means they don't want to say they don't pray or it means they don't want anyone to think they believe in God or a higher power. I don't think it is more authentic than saying they will pray. I do understand the fear of being thought of as a Christian. If you admit to being a Christian, in certain company, you may be looked at with a raised eyebrow. I'm not sure what keeping a person in one's thoughts can do for anyone, but there you have it.
I have been praying for others a lot, lately. I'm praying for you, Brandee. I'm praying for you, Lynn. I am praying for you Em. I'm praying for you, Elizabeth. I am praying for you, Jan. I'm praying for you Lynne and Ellye. I'm praying for you Linda. I am praying for you, Kati. I'm praying for you, Dan. Thank you all for allowing me to pray for you. Thank you for reminding me the God we love cares about us and answers the prayers of our fellow believers.
If you find yourself with a desire to pray, feel free to pray for me or any of the names listed above. I'd love to have other believers holding me up to God in prayer. I've got some real fears about the new turn my life is taking. I'd love to be able to give these fears away. I'd love to let them go. :)
I say it a lot too. There's so much to pray about. I used to keep a prayer box. I should start that again. I would write down.my prayer request and just leave it at His feet. Felt so good....
ReplyDeletedef say i will pray for you more than i do...sadly but true as well...we do have a god that wants to hear our hearts...for others and for ourselves...and it does sting when we dont get what we want but often we can not see the big picture...
ReplyDeleteI know you have been, Evie. I feel more connected to you than ever. Thank you. I'm so sad, and it scares me to think how I might feel without the prayers of my friends. I think you're asking big, important questions, here. Like you, I try to pray for a person as soon as I promise. Then I pray again if (and however often) I feel led. I've just started reading Mark Batterson's _The Circle Maker_, which is about prayer. I'm not yet far enough in to recommend it, but I've read two of his other books and taken so much from them. I'll keep you posted. Thank you again. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I need prayer so badly.
ReplyDeleteI do my mini prayers/blessings during the day. I don't normally tell people that I'm doing it. Sometimes while someone is talking, if they sound sad or worried, I do an immediate blessing. It takes a few seconds. It's not a thought, I actually speak it. It looks strange if you are looking at me, because my mouth moves, but the sound is so soft that you can't really hear it. I got into this habit of blessing blessing blessing. I do a lot of blessings while I'm working, like doing the laundry and cleaning around the house for some reason.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little conflicted on this one. I definitely believe in intercessory prayer. However, I sometimes feel like people say "I'll pray for you" as automatically as "Bless you" after a sneeze. Is there any meaning there? Does that make sense?
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine, who went home to be with the Lord a few years ago, she prayed for me. She had post it notes on her bathroom mirror of those she prayed for. I miss her, her heart-felt love of God spilled out to me. I'm trying to do the post-it prayer for when I say I will pray. I'm bolder now and when someone asks for prayer, I will stop and pray. Not because I'm comfortable but because God wants me to - the times you're most scared to are the times where the greater impact comes I think, God just comes into the prayer. I'm praying for you. I'm putting you on a post-it on my bathroom mirror:)
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, I prayed, "Help me. Help me. Help me." No help seemed imminent. Then I realized help was in motion; it was just going to be a journey. So I started praying, "Be with me. Just be with me" - and He was:)
thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou make complete sense to me. However, I don't want that to be a description of me. I think it's a decision I can make for myself. A discipline, if you will. :)
ReplyDeleteI've had the bad habit in the past of saying, I'll be praying for you and then come prayer time I would forget so I kept a little moleskin tablet thing in my purse and everytime I said that I'd jot down their name so I wouldn't forget. It really works. :)
ReplyDeletePrayer is so helpful for me. I am glad that you pray for others.
ReplyDeleteexcellent, post--well thought out, well articulated. sometimes i do just pray once, and other times i pray continually as people come to mind. if i'm having the rare organized week, i write down names and post-it-note them to the wall by my desk to remind me. :) i have a few pals who i KNOW will pray when they say they will...and it's miraculous to watch God work through those prayers.
ReplyDelete