Good Morning Praying Teammates! Amen! May we always be in a state of prayer as we travel through the day and ready to partner with and allow the Holy Spirit to pray through us. Check out One Cry blog below about always being ready and prayerful. I'm amazed how often through out the day that the Holy Spirit prompts me to intercede for someone or for God's Kingdom to come into some situation I am seeing or walking through. And I am always thankful for all the answered prayers. God stirs us to pray, hears, cares and responds according to His perfect will. Amen! night I texted Sarah and Mike praising God for how many times He stirred me top pray, for people He sent to me or me to to pray and for answered prayers. It was truly an evening of love--a gift from God to me as I was kind of feeling out of the loop during this sabbatical time. Thanks God. Good fruit of prayer begins with being still, abiding, watching and listening with a willing heart to follow His lead to pray and bless. I experienced that evening. You can too! be still, stay tuned in, seek first His Kingdom and watch and pray expectantly. he has great plans for you and to use your prayerful heart. Be on the lookout and be ready to pray and follow! I'm praying for you!
I'm really struggling the past few days (weeks really) with trying to get mom's service for perfect. I appreciate your prayers. Thanks! I find it usually pretty easy to write a funeral that blesses God and the family and brings comfort and peace. I usually find it God-led as I am able to bring to life the memory of the one who has stepped into heaven. It's very difficult for me to be able to feel that what I have written does that, especially because Mom and Terry want the gospel shared and my sisters, cousins and families to be saved. So I ask for prayers for shalom, his favor and words and for open hearts to come to Him in repentance and seeking new life. Thanks! Her first service in Florida was meant to be for her and Terry and their desires were completed. I always have to redo things and there is a different focus . Pray I have peace and fulfill God's plans and honor mom's memory and wishes. I did a funeral for the father of an old high school friend two weeks ago and it did those things and the family keeps thanking and affirming me (Thanks Lord!). I know I have the ability, by the grace of God. Pray I get it together and step out in faith knowing He hears and answers my/our prayers and that His will will be done. Amen and THANKS! While your at it, please pray that I am able to fully disconnect next week and abide deeply in Christ seeking His Kingdom and plans for me and us moving through the fall season and even into . Thanks! he's got this! I'm surrendering, trust and watching to join along the way. We are made for such a time as this and to be able to do His will. Thanks Lord! Come! Fill me and us and use us well according to Your perfect plans. Amen!
Connection Blog
- Only You
In a very real way, we need to look at intercession with passion, with a sense that our prayers could make the difference between “winning and losing.” Too often, when we are asked to pray for something, we come at it with a lackluster, ho-hum attitude: My prayers won’t matter in this situation; surely others are praying too. Or we believe that God is going to do His will in this situation regardless of whether or not we pray, so we are not burdened to pray. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Prayer leader, Steve Hawthorne, states, “What does it really matter if I say words into the air?” Or “If God knows what He’s going to do, why doesn’t He just do it?” But if God truly presides as Judge, with His court ever in session (Genesis 18:20-23; Psalm 65:1-4; Hebrews 4:14-16, 7:25-8:2), our words of intercession are not just sound waves hitting the ceiling. Our expressions of prayer reverberate throughout God’s court, not just for Him to hear, but for all the angelic hosts before whom this awesome drama is being played out.
Scripture also clearly indicates that intercession is important to God. How do we know this? Because both the Holy Spirit and Jesus are involved. Romans 8 tells us that “the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. . . . The Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (verses 26-27); and “Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (verse 34). Hebrews reminds us that “[Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
We need to attack every situation we feel a tug to pray about as if we were the only one praying! You might be the only person who ever prays for your unbelieving neighbor’s salvation. No praying grandmother. No Christian wife praying for her husband. No believer at work. Only you.
Holy Lord, help me to obey quickly when You put someone or some situation on my heart! When Your Spirit urges me to pray, I ask for the awareness and passion to intercede! Help me to grow in this practice so that You can use me for Your purposes in the lives of others.
