Prayer Warriors
Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 7:00AM MAD21 By Pat
Yesterday I received a call from a dear friend. He said that his very sick uncle had taken a turn for the worse, and asked me to pray for him. What an honor that is! He trusted me to do the one thing that's most important of all for his loved one; to lift him to the Lord in prayer.
Last year, another close friend called me and said that she was wrestling with a particular issue, and asked me to pray for several days about it as she fasted and prayed. She did not tell me what the issue was, and I did not ask. There was no need. She trusted me to take her problem to God and I did.
When I am struggling with certain difficulties, I go to God, and I also ask my trusted friends to do the same. I don't ask just anyone, for to me prayer is the most important, soothing and comforting thing there is. Praying alone is important, as Jesus knew:
"After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone," (Matthew 14:23)
"Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him." (Mark 14:35)
But praying together is also crucial:
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:19-20)
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." (Colossians 1:9).
Just as I would only trust my precious grandchildren to a handful of folks, I give my deepest prayer concerns to only a handful of Christian warriors, for I know they will be diligent in prayer on my behalf, as I am for them. It truly is an honor, one I take very seriously. So if you have trusted friends who pray for you, give thanks to God for them. They are truly treasures. And if they ask you to pray for them, take your job seriously, because rather than it being the least you can do, it's actually the best you can do! What a wonderful bond is the community of praying friends.
Reader Comments (1)
The power of prayer is so amazing... I love these verses and thoughts! Thanks, Pat.