PRAYER CHANGES THINGS...THAT IS, IF YOU DO IT RIGHT!!!

"I urge that 
entreaties, prayers,
and thanksgiving be 
made on behalf of all men..."
(I Tim. 2:1 NIV)

Prayer has been the focus of my church's October Family and Friends Month!  It is the spiritual anchor for our 2019 church theme: What Matters Most!  For the times we're living in, this is quite befitting, don't you think?

Seems like ALL I've been doing here lately is praying.  And of course as a Christian that should be no surprise.  Communing with the Father is not only mandated by scripture but is essential to our spiritual survival (see I Thessalonians 5:17; Isaiah 55:6; Ephesians 6:8).  Still, I've been encumbered by an unusual burden to pray!

I wake up in the middle of the night to pray!  I see something on television or witness a scene as I drive and I'm prompted to pray.  People come across my mind, some I haven't thought about or seen in months and I pray! I pray with other Christians six out of seven days on our church's prayer line.  I participate in corporate prayer at Wednesday's Noon and Sunday morning services.  When I check on the sick and shut-in visiting them in their homes or the hospital I pray by their bedside and on the telephone! 

So, I was really shocked to find out after all this, that I might just be doing it wrong ...YOU MIGHT BE TOO!

I've been preparing to train prayer warriors for this year's Women's Spiritual Boot Camp in the area of intercessory prayer.  Intercessory prayer is different than other types of prayers.  These are prayers in which you stand in the gap before the Lord for those who can't or may be too weak to do so themselves yet are in peril of physical or spiritual death!   We don't intercede nearly enough prayer, although we think we do!

As I researched more into this type of praying I was really struck with how powerful it can be...that is if we do it right (James 5:14-16)!  I also realized that it is something that we must not take on lightly for the intercessor is often vulnerable spiritually to the thing they are praying against (Ephesians 6:10-18)!  It is important that as intercessors we are sincere and committed to the task, and above all, prepared!

I confess, I've been guilty of having someone ask me to pray for them and I simply forgot! (To remedy that, if time and occasion permits, I stop and pray right then!)  Other times, I think I've fulfilled my obligation to pray by mentioning it in my personal prayers then turfing it to someone else  (pastor, prayer line host, designated pray-er in a church meeting) for deeper, more passionate consideration! Neither is an appropriate way to intercede in prayer!


This is what I've learned as an Intercessor in Prayer:

• Praying and Interceding is different:  Praying is what You do!  Intercession is what God tells you to pray! Most of the time when a prayer request is given to you the requestor wants you to pray their will! An intercessor must pray what the Spirit tells them to pray!  Examples:  My family member has cancer, pray for his/her healing!  You ask..is he/she saved?  If the answer is no, or I don't know.  The intercessor prays for salvation first and then the body! Learn to listen with spiritual ears!!

• Preparation is Key:  Pray for yourself first that your heart and mind are free from unconfessed sin, distractions, or anything that would interfere with a prayer getting through! (I John 1:9) If you are not spiritually prepared, wait until you've completed your own personal business with the Lord before you pray for someone else.

• When You Pray Focus on God First (Isaiah 55:8-9): This is where the A.C.T.S. prayer acrostic comes in handy (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication) You are only the vessel not the source that the Sovereign God uses to answer prayer!

• Use Scripture when praying! Pray God's promises back to Him. Not just any scripture, but ones that are appropriate for the situation.  This is another avenue of preparation for the intercessor, for one cannot pray what he/she does not know!

• Know When To Call For Help.  Sometimes it is hard to know how to pray for a certain request. We may not be strong in spiritual discernment.  However, the Holy Spirit is omniscient and He is also our Helper.  So simply let Him give you the words. (Romans 8:26-27).  We may also come across a situation in which you need another prayer warrior to assist for additional spiritual support.  Humble yourself and ask! (Matthew 18:20)

• Leave All In God's Hands. What if you are asked to pray for the same things over and over again?  There are situations when persistent prayer is not only appropriate but biblical (Luke 18:1-7). This is an area of much debate among Christians. Have the requester to consider that God is not obligated to answer prayer the way they want. It could be that they are unwilling to accept His answer.  In that case the prayer should be for Strength and Grace to Endure! (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)

  PRAYER CHANGES, PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS!!!

True, but only if we Pray Sincerely, Fervently, and According to God's Perfect Will!

(James 5:14-16)

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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