The older I
get, the more I realize that just about everyone has something difficult in
their lives. I have always been super sensitive to the hurts of others, but now
I see them in a different way than I once did. I use to look at others and sort
of rate their lives – “they have it all”, “her house is cleaner”, “their lives
are a mess”, “why me and not someone else?” and so on. I know, that sounds
horrible, but I bet you do the same thing in some form or another. We all do
it. We all compare our circumstances and situations to others. We all wish for
greener grass at times.
Now,
however, I try very hard, by the grace of God, to remember that what we see on
the outside might not be true of what is really going on in someone’s life.
Usually, there is a lot more than what we might see. Recently, a sweet friend
of mine was deeply honest about her current circumstances. I sensed that
something was going on in her life and I was right so I prayed. She is dealing
with a very heart wrenching, life altering situation. When I read her story, it
made my heart ache. But, something else happened; I realized a couple of
things. First, it helped me to remember again, that what we see on the outside
or what we may perceive may not be the whole story; secondly, I saw a picture
of her heart and her beautiful faith and trust in our God, it also gave me a
more specific way to pray. Finally, reading her story sent me directly to my
knees for her and her family, as soon as I read her words, I prayed.
This
happens more often with me these days. Instead of my old reactions to someone’s
pain, instead of comparing, or even forgetting to pray, I’ve learned to pray
immediately and often. I have always been and will be an intercessor, but God
has taught me through my own heartache and pain and through the heartaches of
others, that prayer is the best thing I can offer someone. I don’t just tell
someone that I’m going to pray for them, now, I really DO pray for them. Every
time someone comes to my mind, I pray for them, even if I do not know why I’m
supposed to pray. I pray for family, friends, those who are far away and those
who are near. I pray for strangers and I pray for those who are dearest to me.
I pray for my church, our pastors, our nation, and at times I even pray for our
enemies. (I know, that’s a strong word, but we all have enemies) I pray for
those who read my simple blogs. I pray for you!
There is
much joy in this life, but there is so much heartache too. I have so many
people on my heart right now who I want to pray for that sometimes I have to
create a list in order to keep up with them all. I have dear friends and loved
ones who are fighting huge battles - physical, emotional and spiritual battles.
Sometimes I cannot sleep at night because my heart is so heavy for them, so I pray.
Sometimes I cannot physically be there for them because of my own life stuff,
but I can ALWAYS pray and that is my best gift to them. I know that God hears
and answers prayer. I know that prayer makes a difference!
God’s Word promises us that He hears
us. Psalm 34:17 says, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them…” and 1
John 5:14 tells us that, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God:
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” What beautiful
promises! God, who created all things, who keeps the stars hanging in the night
sky, who sees and knows all things, hears us and will answer. That blows my
mind. And so, if this is true and I believe firmly that it is and have seen
evidence of it all around me, how can I not pray for those whom I care about
and even for those that I do not even know? I am compelled to pray!
I have a
few close friends in my life who I call upon regularly to pray for me and for
my loved ones. Sometimes I probably wear them out asking for prayer, but that
is because I strongly believe in the power of prayer. I am so thankful for my
praying friends. I do not know what I would do without them. (You know who you
are! Thank you!) I am also grateful for the privilege to pray for others. I
spend a lot of time in my Pink Room praying. I pray alone, I pray with others,
I pray at church. I pray without ceasing! I pray in the morning, at night, when
I’m washing dishes and when I walk our dog. I love praying Scripture. (Check out
“Praying God’s Word Day by Day, one
of my favorite prayer devotions) I love being in conversation with my Heavenly
Father. I am convinced that prayer is the answer to everything that lays heavy
on my heart. I also try to keep a list of answered prayers, so that I can
continue to thank God not only as I wait for His answers, but when I see Him
answer. He is so faithful and good. Life is not always good, but He is and He
loves us enough to listen and to answer when we seek Him. He will provide for
our deepest needs. It may not always be in the way we want or expect, but His
answers are always best for us. He knows exactly what we need. We can trust His
answers, even when they do not come in the way we desired. Right now there are
several Scriptures that are flooding my mind. I do not have room to write them
all out here so I’ll list some of my favorites. Please take the time to look
them up and learn them. I believe they will encourage your heart if you do.
And, if you have something on your mind and heart that I can pray for, please
leave a comment and I will pray for you. God bless you! Thank you for reading.
