My Young Life midschoolers became amazing prayer warriors with 3 word prayers. Simply stating their hope, thanks, or needs in 3 words was powerful. For example, while I was leading them my husband and I were separated after 25 years of marriage. We prayed, "Under one roof" for a year. As you would suspect God healed our hurts and last summer we celebrated our 34th year of marriage. These girls who knew little about Christianity totally got the power of prayer.
How often we say we will pray for someone when what is better is to stop and pray aloud with them right at that moment. Recently, It can be intimidating and often we feel inadequate when praying publicly. Like anything else, praying aloud gets more comfortable as we pray publicly more often. I feel blessed that as a YL leader I shed my fears of 40 years and became at ease with praying out loud.
We pray from the heart for friends, loved ones, and even strangers so our words cannot be misspoken. Whether a prayer is 3words or several minutes long, our open hearts before others and before our God is where the power lays.
My friend Donna will stop me in the middle of my explaining a need, gently take my hands and begin to pray. Too often we say we will pray when what we should do is just pray. Life is distracting and best intensions get forgotten. Besides there is just something more healing to actually share your prayers with those you are praying for. There have been times when I have been asked to pray on Facebook. If I take the time to type out my prayer in a private message the response has been powerful. Our prayers are encouraging and so appreciated. My young friend, Bryn, shared that a prayer message can be reassuring over and over as she reread the heartfelt words.
Having the courage to pray together and my teens praying under one roof are what softened our hearts and brought Ron and I back together. My silent prayer is that I continue praying with others and for others so that I never get out of practice. So next time someone asks you for prayer support, stop and say,"How about now?", take their hands and share your hearts.
In Him,
Joyful
1-16-12
How often we say we will pray for someone when what is better is to stop and pray aloud with them right at that moment. Recently, It can be intimidating and often we feel inadequate when praying publicly. Like anything else, praying aloud gets more comfortable as we pray publicly more often. I feel blessed that as a YL leader I shed my fears of 40 years and became at ease with praying out loud.
We pray from the heart for friends, loved ones, and even strangers so our words cannot be misspoken. Whether a prayer is 3words or several minutes long, our open hearts before others and before our God is where the power lays.
My friend Donna will stop me in the middle of my explaining a need, gently take my hands and begin to pray. Too often we say we will pray when what we should do is just pray. Life is distracting and best intensions get forgotten. Besides there is just something more healing to actually share your prayers with those you are praying for. There have been times when I have been asked to pray on Facebook. If I take the time to type out my prayer in a private message the response has been powerful. Our prayers are encouraging and so appreciated. My young friend, Bryn, shared that a prayer message can be reassuring over and over as she reread the heartfelt words.
Having the courage to pray together and my teens praying under one roof are what softened our hearts and brought Ron and I back together. My silent prayer is that I continue praying with others and for others so that I never get out of practice. So next time someone asks you for prayer support, stop and say,"How about now?", take their hands and share your hearts.
In Him,
Joyful
1-16-12
Psalm 107 28-30They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles. He calmed the storm,
and the waves grew silent.The sailors rejoiced because the waves grew quiet,
and he led them to the harbor they desired.
No comments:
Post a Comment