11/12/09 Those e-mails said folks I’ve never met in Germany, Holland and France were praying for me. What prompted those prayers? God’s Spirit? Fellowship with other believers? Hearing a siren yesterday, I prayed---for both the injured/ill one and for his/her loved ones as well. God can certainly use both people and circumstances to prompt prayers. Someone stopping us, in a hallway or at the grocery, and requesting prayer can be a big prompt. Often I have to pray right then or say that I will pray as God leads so that I don’t give a false hope---as this old mind doesn’t hold on to requests as it once did. I know what it’s like to count on others to fervently and earnestly pray. I also know that prayer is so-o-o-o much more than petitions. Yet, I can trust Him enough to pour out my heart, my sorrows and my burdens for others and allow Him to work these according to good.
Michèle’s recent blog, “The Problem with Prayer” states, “It’s a topic I both love and hate to discuss, mostly because it’s so nebulous. And yet…it’s also powerful and life-altering and sanity-preserving.”
There is indeed a deep mystery to prayer. Even knowing that prayer is the span that links us to a holy God can be overwhelming. But what a privilege! Devote yourselves to prayer…” (Colossians 4:2) ”pray for one another.” (James 5:16b) These sound more intentional than just running into people or hearing a siren.
What about intentional prayer prompts? My “agenda” prayer prompts for intercession (praying for others), as many know, are scheduled by day---my former prayer group people are prayed for on the weekday that I was assigned for each of them back in the mid-80s---others have been added to these days, often alliteratively. I keep this list with me in my calendar. I have committed to pray for Sarah Young’s health and her prayer prompt is in my lap each time I read her Jesus Calling book. My Weeping Wednesdays prompt me to pray prayers of confession. My 7:00 Saturday morning is my church prayer time that extends in to prayer for children and grandchildren of friends. My big old prayer chair is a very visible prompt that it's time to pray!
When we have had scheduled prayer times with Him, preceded by being quiet and worshipping God in His glory----then we can, as François Fénelon recommended, “Accustom yourself gradually to carry Prayer into all your daily occupation -- speak, act, work in peace, as if you were in prayer, as indeed you ought to be.”
Without set times of prayer, the spirit of prayer will be dull and feeble. Without the continual prayerfulness, the set times will not avail.--Andrew Murray This sounds like a juxtaposition of planned and unplanned prayers to me.
Spur-of-the-moment prayer prompts. Are you alert to them?
Intentional prayer prompts. What will yours be?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
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