April 15, 2016

Prayers Are Powerful

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. -- James 5:16

How much time to you spend praying for other people? Really? Are you sure? We intend to pray for others quite a bit but do we really take time to actually pray for them?

“I’ll pray for you.” We throw those words out quite casually. Do we mean it? Probably at the time we do. Then we forget.

Prayer requests pop up on Facebook quite a bit. I’ve made a habit of actually praying for someone before I comment that I am praying. That way I know I’ve done as I said I would. Many of the people, I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. God knows them.

It allows us to participate in something pretty awesome. A prayer community. A support group, of sorts.

A sweet woman is facing a devastating divorce. I know her mostly through Facebook and other friends. She deserves so much better than a soon-to-be-ex who is determined to hurt her with his words and actions.

We’ve surrounded her with prayer and love and support. I hope she feels it. She says that she does. I can’t get her off my mind and the prayers have come all day. Her faith will see her through. I know that. And I know that prayer will empower her all the more.

There’s a baby who was transferred recently to another part of the country. He is fighting for his life. His parents? How can anyone endure the weeks of waiting and watching, of praying and begging God to intervene and heal their son?

Prayers are strong for this little warrior. I know that God has sent His angels to watch over him. I don’t understand the why of it all. I’m not meant to. But I do know my part: to pray continually for a miracle that will heal this baby.

The list goes on and on. A man who found out two days ago that he has cancer. A woman struggling to support herself and her child. A family torn apart by lies and deceit. How could we possibly include them all? How can we not?

I don’t have a lot of answers to that. I do know that during tough times in my life, the prayers of others carried me. God hears our prayers, our petitions, as we cry out for Him to help others -- whether we know them personally or not.

So take time to pray as you can. Remember those who are hurting, who are sick, who are alone. Don’t just say you’ll pray, do it. Prayer matters.