Prayer for You

Last week as our Sunday School class ended and people began to throw away empty coffee cups and gather up coats, one of the women raised her hand and called out to those in earshot.... "Can I just ask for prayer really quick?" Her bright smile faded as she spilled hard, heavy news her cousin had received that week, and I watched as people paused, dropped coats into chairs and gathered around her. For those last few minutes, we ignored noise in the hall and the next class waiting to get in as we reached out our hands to her and prayed sincerely for her need.

Ryan and I ran into a couple this past week who had gone through a really tough time not long ago. One life-blow after another hit them, and their discouragement spread to their parents who reached out to a group of us and, with broken hearts, they asked for prayer. We stopped the party that was in full swing at that moment and bombarded Heaven on their behalf. When Ryan asked how they were doing, they smiled widely and shared pieces of good news that had tumbled their way ever since...well...ever since that night of prayer.

A friend posted on Facebook this week, a goosebump-inducing account of a her husband's trip to Mardi Gras, where he went with a team of people to minister. His rental car keys were zipped securely in the inside pocket of his coat. And later, without anyone reaching into his coat, a hole being found, or the zipper coming undone, the keys were gone. A prayer team went to work praying over his safety and the keys, which would cost $300 to replace. After they prayed, a man from another mission team three miles away called to report a set of keys that had been found - and the man who lost them had never been to that area three miles away.

Two nights ago, Ryan and I curled up in our living room and prayed over our own lives and marriage, as we feel overwhelmed by the onslaught of new obstacles that seem to spring up each day. And then yesterday morning, I sat across from Lynne in our office and shared about that prayer time we'd had and our confusion over the current state of events - and she reached out and prayed for us both.

Prayer matters.

And it works. Not as a magical solution to problems but as a lifeline to the One Who knows each of us and knows what we can't about what we're facing.

It's been heavy on my mind these last few weeks to tell you that I'd love to pray for you. Sometimes I get emails from you, asking for prayer, and I love that. And I do pray. If there's anything on your heart that you want to share {you can be anonymous in comments if you don't want your name to show} - leave a note, or email me {reading rebekah at yahoo dot com} and know that I'll go to work praying hard for you!

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,

but against the rulers, against the authorities,

against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,

against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

~ Ephesians 6:11 ~