One of the ways we should be dependent on one another is by praying for each other.
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)
I’ve been excited at how God has been working in my life to help me deny myself on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps part of the difference has been the difficult task of asking for specific prayer in our ladies’ Sunday school class. The elderly ladies giggle sometimes when I ask for prayer, but I know they pray. Sometimes it is hard to explain what I need prayer for. When I ask prayer about getting my house clean, I’m not asking prayer for a miraculous wind to blow through my house and set everything in its place. I’m asking prayer that God would help me know how to prioritize my tasks, that God would help me deny my flesh when I’m tempted to indulge in too much computer time. My tendency is to give vague requests that don’t make me look bad. I have a busy week; pray that God gives me strength instead of I’ve been procrastinating getting my laundry done and I need to have the humility and love to finish it. I’m still learning, and my natural reaction is still to protect myself and my “image,” but I’m excited to find the grace I need when I humble myself in this way.
I need prayer from other believers. I’m starting to remember that others need prayer, too, and have been burdened to pray for those people in our local church. It’s one way that I can serve while I’m sitting in the bathroom waiting for a little girl to go potty, while I’ve kicked up my feet outside watching my preschoolers ride their bikes in the street, while I’m chopping up onions for dinner. I can be an active, essential part of my church when I choose to pray.
I’m also still learning to pray for others. I’m far too distractible with my own cares, and sometimes I come to Wednesday church realizing I haven’t thought at all about for those whom I determined to pray for on Sunday.
In both giving and receiving, I can easily complain because of the lack of mentoring going on, but at the same time refuse to be transparent in prayer.
I’d love to tie this post up neatly with a bow, but I have all three children awake extra early, needing attention. I cannot concentrate enough to write (as it should be, I suspect). Have a good day!
Thanks for writing Michelle. I haven’t been on for a while as we had company last week. I got read through the post from last week and this week today.
In thinking about the prayer requests post , I understand about trying to look good. I also get frustrated in not knowing what to pray for others about. I am supposed to be praying for a lady in church, but all she said to pray was to be a good testimony. It is vague at least to me! In my form I tried to write specifecs so that my paryer partner would know what to pray about.
I think I don’t want to get specific in my prayer requests because then I have to actually work on that area…if I can stay vague, I can stay disobedient. I hadn’t really thought of that before…
Maya, I understand that frustration. I suspect the more you get to know your prayer partner, the more insight God will give you in how to pray for her.
Shelley, You may be right, but I can also be disobedient even when people are praying very specifically for me. 🙁 Still, when people know what to pray for, they sometimes actually ask me how I’m doing!