Praying out loud was
always awkward for me, even with my husband, and I did not want to budge at
first. I was quite content praying by myself. What if I said the wrong thing or
it sounded weird? What exactly should I pray for? In-my-head-prayers were easier
and I liked it that way but my husband did not. And I had to give in and try
it. And then I had to pray out loud each Thursday as an Awana director. The
more I prayed out loud, the easier it got and I was able to trust God to guide
my prayers. You can semi-prepare for what you think you are going to say but I
find when you are praying for someone specifically, the holy spirit takes over
and your words are not yours but you
have to be willing to speak to be used.
Praying for others is a huge
blessing for both parties involved. I am still working on praying for someone
the moment they ask for prayer, as opposed to the I
will be praying for you this week. Praying
in the moment is powerful. I do not know of a place in the bible where Jesus
says, "sure, I will pray for you this week." He prayed in the moment. He prayed with power and
authority. His prayers were answered.
When you get over yourself and your own insecurities and pray in the moment for someone, you allow God to take control and pour blessings over others who are hurting or need help and over yourself. You allow God to use you to comfort and speak peace and truth and life in to his child. Prayer goes beyond our own infinite minds to the God of the universe.
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5: 13-16
Scripture tells us to pray for
each other and that God will be there among us (Matt 18:20). Prayer heals. Prayer changes lives. Rejoice with one another when prayers have been answered and pray for needs to be met. When
you are praying for someone you do not need to be afraid of whether or not the
prayer will be answered. That is not up to you to decide. Yes, you are to
have faith (mark 11:24) but God is the one who knows what is best for the
situation and works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
I pray that you would
be bold in your spirit and listen to God's leading this week as you go about
your day. I pray that he would give you opportunity to pray for someone and
that you would not worry about words to say or awkwardness but that you would
be confident in the Lord and his power, not your own.
I pray that you would
witness a renewing of your mind and revival of your prayer life. That you would
not be worried about words to speak or the offering to pray but that you would
seek out opportunities to intercede for others who are not expecting it. That
it would be commonplace to pray for those around you.
Here's to praying and
interceding for others. And here's to lives being changed through them.