How many times in your life have you said to someone "I'm gonna pray for you"? How many times in your life have you actually followed through with that statement? For me personally, I say it at least once every other day, if not more. Real talk: In my young walk with Christ there were many times the phrase "Ima pray for you" was completely in vain. It hurts my heart to say that.. Now that I have such a deep, meaningful relationship with Jesus, I whole-heartedly understand what it means to pray for someone, and not only that, I also know what it means to simply do what I say I'm going to do. Back then, I probably really did have the best of intentions. Maybe I just truly forgot, but, y'all, is that really an excuse not to pray for someone?? No! When we use His word like that, we need to make sure we back it up with actions. What if God were as forgetful as we are sometimes? I'm so grateful He's not, he will always meet us in prayer!
Love Language
To me, the greatest way to show people you love them is to pray for them. Prayer reaches far beyond anything else you could ever do for someone. Knowing that we have others helping us pray over all things should make us rejoice. It's a rarity these days to have that, I'm blessed to have a few prayer warriors in my corner. Prayer is a love language, it's Gods love language. To take someone to the Lord in prayer means you are lifting them up to Him in full faith that He's already got their situation covered and handled according to His will.
Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
The phrase "Ima pray for you" is used so loosely these days. Don't be that person. Hit your knees, go to your war room, take it to the altar, wherever you are- just pray, especially if you've said to someone, "You are in my prayers". Those words hold weight and those words have significant meaning. If you don't follow through, not only are you missing the chance to pray for someone else, but you're cheating yourself out of an intimate conversation with God!
I see on social media all the time people asking for prayer and the comment section of that post will be a mile long. Even just typing out the words "I'm praying!" means you've already agreed to meet with God on that person's behalf, and you better do it. Stop right then before scrolling on and pray for them. I promise it counts, it's heard and you're doing what you agreed to do! Let's boldly intercede for others, knowing that the prayers of God's children are highly effective and powerful. He hears them. He even hears the words we can't say, and He sees straight through us and into our hearts. Doesn't that just make you love Him even more?
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
Communication
Prayer is so important for our everyday walk with Jesus. It's how we communicate with Him. I love that our prayers don't have to be sophisticated or wordy. I'm not an eloquent prayer, sometimes I wonder if God is like "I really need to fix this childs attention span, she is all over the place"(LOL) Seriously though, our prayer can be as simple as "Lord, it's me again, I just need you today." The strength that He can give us just from that simple prayer alone, is unlike anything else you'll ever experience. Speak from your heart, friend. He already knows. I heard a song once that says, "Prayer is a direct line to the throne room," and I love that thought, don't you?
When we go to the Lord in prayer, we should be completely honest with Him. We should tell Him exactly what we need. Now, does that mean we are going to get it right away-uh no! But, ask again. If God doesn't answer your prayer the way you'd like, then trust that He has a bigger plan for you. We must have faith while praying that God has our best interest at heart. He knows what we need before we even ask, but still, we have to ask. Sometimes, the humbleness and the true test of our faith comes in the asking and the waiting. He's an on-time God who knows us better than we know ourselves and He loves us endlessly.
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made to God.
When You Pray
Here I go again referring to another bible study, but y'all, God is so good and is moving through these studies. This past week was one of my favorites, and I'd love to share a few nuggets I got from it. It starts in 1 Samuel, in the story of Hannah. For time's sake, I'm going to do a lot of paraphrasing, but I encourage you to go read it for yourself because my gracious-it's so good!
Hannah was barren. God closed her womb, and for years, she prayed for a son. She was so grief-stricken over not being able to have a child that she literally couldn't eat. Just like in
Psalm 42:3 when David says "my tears are my food day and night" that was Hannah. Let me just say that when Erica and I read that, we both cried our own tears because it resonated with us so much. How many times have our tears been our food? Well, that's where Hannah is at in this story. She is broken.
On this particular day in the Bible, a heartbroken Hannah goes to the temple. She is praying in such a way that a man thinks she's drunk. I imagine she must have been weeping and praying so loudly with her hands up in the air, crying the most anguished, soul-crushing cry, O' Lord of Hosts as she is begging for God to open her womb and give her a son. The Hannah that walked into the temple that day was not the same Hannah that walked out. She completely laid her barren burden down, not some of it - ALL OF IT! Her faith was restored, she just knew God had a plan and she trusted it. My bible says that she went back home to eat and worship. Even before Hannah's prayer was answered, she was already praising and thanking God for it. That's the kinda faith I want, y'all.
Okay, here are the nuggets I was talking about given by Jackie Hill Perry in When You Pray:
- "What if God needed to birth something in Hannah's heart before He birthed something from her body?" Wow, just wow!! Think about that for a second...
-What if God is more committed to your sanctification than He is your comfort? This one really hit me hard, and I could tell you why, but instead, I want you to think about how you can relate to this in your life. Those seasons of discomfort often brings out the side of us that God needs to use so we can be armored up and ready for battle!! He's setting the stage for glory!
-Before Hannah got what she WANTED, her hope had to be renewed in the God she NEEDED! Shewww-weee, that's good stuff! We always need God regardless of the situation we are in. Good or bad, happy or sad-WE ALWAYS NEED JESUS, Y'ALL!
-As you'll read in the Bible, Hannah promises God if He will give her a son, she will return him back to God. We should always pray with full intent of giving our gift back to the giver. He is the ONLY reason we have what we have, even our children and He deserves all the praise and glory for it.
Power in Prayer
God did answer Hannah's prayer! She gave birth to a son and named him Samuel. Hannah did, in fact, give her son back to God, keeping her word and promise. Samuel went on to be both a great leader of the Israelites and a profit of God. There really is something about the power of a praying mother! Your prayers matter, momma! If you haven't read Erica's post this week, please do so. There is power in prayer! I feel it, I know it and I see it. My babies are living proof of it, I'm living proof of it. And believe it or not, you're living proof of it.
Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks ; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the doors will be opened."
He didn't say only Hannah can ask, he didn't say only the preacher or the worship team can seek, He didn't say only the best prayers can knock-He said EVERYONE WHO ASKS, SEEKS AND KNOCKS-that includes you, sis!!
So, let's all be more like Hannah. Let's do what we say we're gonna do and pray when we say we're gonna pray and then pray some more! We always end our podcasts with this, but I feel I need to say it here too: If you need prayer, please reach out to us. We will be happy to pray with you-that is why we are here and that is why we do what we do!
God will always meet you in prayer, anytime-anywhere!
Your prayer partner, Michelle