Prayer

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Every Monday morning I ask for prayer requests via my facebook page. And every Monday I receive emails from people who are hurting and are in need of prayer for all kinds of reasons. I hear from women who are going through a rough spot in their marriage. I hear from friends who are struggling with their faith. I receive requests from those who have been sick, struggling to raise children, those overwhelmed by the demands of every day life and those who have been faced with insurmountable odds. I do get most of my requests sent privately to me through my email and I consider it an honor to be able to partner with God on their behalf.

But I want you to know that I take this responsibility very seriously. I have a heart for those who are hurting and many times can relate to the pain because I have been there myself.

But you see - my prayers have changed slightly.

Following my prayer time a couple weeks ago, I really felt like God was asking me to change the way in which I approached prayer for these individuals. Don't get me wrong.... I still pray for healing, restoration and strength, but I've included something so important that I had been missing all along. And this is what I wrote in my journal following this revelation from God....

"When I pray prayers like "Father - encourage her/him today", let me it NOT stop there. Help me to pray that I might be used to BE the encourager."

I think it's time we stop praying safe prayers, asking God to be the encourager, and begin asking God to put ACTION steps to those prayers by asking Him to use US to BE His hands and feet! I don't want to pray prayers asking God to help others get by - I want to pray prayers that would CHANGE LIVES. And I want God to start with me!

For that marriage that is facing divorce - I want to pray boldly that God would use my marriage as an encouragement. That my own relationship with my husband would be the Godly example for these struggling friends. That God would give us wisdom and guide our conversations with these individuals.

For the woman facing challenges in her every day life and the demands at home... being a wife, a mother and a full-time employee - I want to pray boldly that God would use me to be a blessing and an encouragement to my friend. That I would yield to the Holy Spirit's promoting to BE the listening ear and the comforter. That I might offer, in tangible ways, words of hope and scripture references that brings peace.

People are hurting and there is no doubt that they need our prayers. They desperately need to know that God loves them and wants to the best for them - but they also need to SEE this lived out and displayed through us. It is our job, as Christ-followers, to SHOW that love, Christ's love, by demonstrating that love. By encouraging, motivating and uplifting. My prayer daily is that God would use me in a mighty way for His purposes. That when others look at me, they would see Jesus. And this, in and of itself is a pretty intense prayer.

I don't believe that Jesus died on the cross for us to pray prayers that simply get us by. I believe He died so that we can learn to pray boldly and passionately, believing and expecting Him to do more than we could ever dream or imagine. And it starts with using us in a powerful way that draws others closer to Him.

My prayers are changing. I'm asking God to start with changing me first so that I can be used by Him for big things.

Ephesians 3:20 says... "Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

He's ready to use us... we just have to ask!

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,