A Kid in a Candy Store
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all me
1 Timothy 2:1
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:25
I have a remarkably dear friend whom I met at a Walk to Emmaus in 2018; this friendship was tailor made by the Lord’s hands before the foundation of the earth. Although we don’t see each other all too often, we stay close via text and phone calls. Many times I will get a text out of the blue from her, just exactly when I need it, telling me that she is praying for me. A quick text from her to me or from me to her with a plea for prayers is answered almost most immediately, with the peace and presence of the Holy Spirit following nanoseconds behind the reply.
Words can’t convey the excitement I felt from receiving a text from my dear friend one morning, saying that she was getting ready to pray for me and was there anything specific she could pray for me about? I felt like a kid in a candy store! It was not a question I had been asked before and delight bubbled up inside of me as I pondered my response. Nothing sprang to mind immediately, as there weren’t any burning issues (fortunately) in my life at the time. I savored each idea that came into my head, like a child gripping coins in a sweaty little hand with eyes solely on the best piece of candy to buy and enjoy. What a treat this was! What a gift I had been given – to have someone approach the throne of grace to entreat the Author of Life on my behalf on a need that I had. And this gift, like the loaves and fishes, multiplied exponentially, because not only was my friend imploring the Lord on my behalf, but my King and Redeemer was interceding for me.
Friends, do not think lightly of the gift of prayer when it is offered, and do not be ashamed or embarrassed to ask for prayer. Many of us hesitate to share our prayer requests with others, for various reasons: we do not want to burden them, we don’t want to appear weak, or we may ashamed to admit the sin that we need to be released from. You have my promise and my vow that if you share your prayer needs with me, I will not judge you, I will not condemn you, nor will it be a burden for me. (I will warn you, though—if it’s a doozy, I cannot promise to control the reaction of my non-poker face J. I’m kidding.)
It’s a guarantee that when you share your prayer needs with the Lord, He will not judge you for them, nor will He condemn you—He has paid for the penalty for your sin. Paul reminds us also in Romans 8 that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Prayer is such a wonderful gift—one that blesses the pray-er as much as it does the pray-ee.
Prayer Requests
· For those dealing with physical, emotional, or mental pain and drain
· For those facing unexpected life events like the loss of a job or a divorce
· Praise for the changes we see happening in our church—both in the physical (changes to buildings, websites, and the like) as well as the people-related types—emotional and within the body of Christ
· For us to continually seek His will for our lives
One of the phrases I saw on our website at one time is that we called ourselves “the church that prays”. Let’s commit to living up to that moniker. I’d also like to invite you to come by and share in our prayer meeting time—we meet every Thursday night in the Fellowship Hall at 7:00 p.m. You won’t regret it—in fact, I’m certain you’ll be quite blessed!
Quotes
“My story is filled with broken pieces, terrible choices, and ugly truths. It’s also filled with a major comeback, peace in my soul, and GRACE that saved my life!”
“Sometimes God’s blessings are not in what He gives, but in what He takes away. He knows best. Trust Him.”