Prayer. I’ve been thinking this morning about how easy it is, on the surface, to have prayer as a core of our ministries to the shattered. But I came to a point in LDM where I had to ask myself, “Is prayer REALLY the core of our ministry?”
I remember positive answers to prayer. Like the time my roommate and I needed to take our rent money to the landlord downstairs by 2:00. At that time, when I was in the middle part of my healing, I was living on a shoe string.
We had part of the rent money but needed more. My roommate and I decided that we should have a time of praise since we were convinced that our God would supply our need. So we began to enter into praise prayers.
Fifteen minutes before we had to give the rent, there was a knock at our door. It was a woman from our church. She said that she had felt led to hand us some money after church last week but she then felt that the Lord was saying “Don’t give it now.” She had been at home this particular day and suddenly felt an urgency to bring the money over to our house asap.
And, wouldn’t you know, the amount she gave us was just the amount we were short on the rent!
I’m sure, as you minister in impossible situations, you realize that if the Lord doesn’t “show up”, nothing will be accomplished.
Also, I know that since many of the folks we minister to often go from crisis to crisis, we often find ourselves sending up “911 prayers” asking the Lord to intervene in the current desperateness. But, in addition to these “reactive prayers,” I think we need to also pray what I call “proactive prayers.” These are prayers not based on current emergencies but based on the prayers of Paul as he prayed for his friends. I’ve added a handout we use when training our prayer team. Hope it’s helpful to you.
While you’re at it, how about sharing some of the “Yes” answers to your prayers here on our blog? It would encourage us all, I think.
Praying for Others
Eph. 1:15-19
- May they know You better and better
- Reveal Yourself to them
- May they have spiritual wisdom
- Open their spiritual eyes to see things clearly
- Help them understand that You have chosen and called them for a purpose
- Show them what a rich inheritance they have
- Help them see the “surpassing greatness” of Your power at work in their lives
2 Thess. 1:11-12
- May You count them as ones who live lives worthy of their calling
- Fulfill every desire they have for doing good
- Give them the power to live lives of faith
- May You be glorified by the way they live
Phil.1:9-11
- Make their love for You and others grow more and more
- Help them to have real knowledge and discernment so they can make the best choices
- Help them to be sincere and blameless
- May their lives be filled with the fruit of right choices
Col. 1:9-12
- Fill them with the knowledge of Your will
- Give them spiritual wisdom and understanding
- May they walk in a manner worthy of the Lord
- Help them to live lives and make choices that please You
- May they bear fruit as they do good works
- Help them increase in their knowledge of You
- Strengthen them according to Your might
- Help them be steadfast and patient
- Help them live lives filled with thanksgiving to You
- Help them enjoy their relationship with You
Eph. 3:14-19
- Strengthen them with power through Your Spirit in the inner man
- Help them to abide in You
- Help them live lives characterized by faith
- May they be rooted and grounded in Your love
- Help them comprehend how much You really love them
- May they be filled up to all the fullness of God