Such a common phrase, especially among the Christian church… it’s so easy to sound flippant… almost like saying, “see ya” as you part company with someone.
Do you pray for those to whom you say, “I’ll pray for you!”? Or is it rhetoric… to make you feel good that your doing something for someone?
What about when the rubber meets the road…. when someone is really reaching out for help and you say, “I’ll pray for you.” But the help they need is physical or emotional…. yeah, flippant.
But real intercessory prayer…. now that is powerful. Real, deep, gut wrenching petition to The God of the universe on behalf of someone…. that’s powerful stuff. That’s when mountains are moved.
So what makes the difference?
The power and the petition. Petition. There are times we must go through difficult times to drive us to the place where we realize we are completely powerless apart from God…. that our works and our efforts can not change the circumstance…. and we surrender all our vain attempts and lay them completely at His feet.
It is then, and only then, after we’ve completely emptied ourselves, that we can truly petition the Lord to meet our need.
I have so clearly seen God move mountains that I was told were immovable… I have so clearly seen the power of God bring change that seemed impossible….
I heard the doctors and nurses tell his family and me that my business partner “Rob” would be in a nursing home for the rest of his life because he wouldn’t ever be able to function on his own. I sat with bewildered doctors who could not predict or prescribe a recovery plan… and I went to God completely empty of anything that I could do… and I begged and petitioned.. for hours at a time.. that God would not only spare him, but use him for Gods glory…. and I watched closely as, over a five day period, God completely restored his mind and strengthened his body.. to the point where he was discharged from the hospital and walked out on his own… and returned to our business and began to play in our worship band… and then found someone to share Jesus with… all for God’s glory.
I’ve been watching silently as my business partner “Rob” reaches out to share the saving grace of Jesus with his atheist, alcoholic friend, Richard. I’ve been watching as Richard self-implodes and cries out for help on social media to have numbers of people respond, “I’ll pray for you”. He doesn’t yet know the power of prayer…. he feels their response is flippant, almost arrogant, that they would just offer up some thin words on his behalf rather than really helping…. but if THEY truly know the power of prayer, they know that, by prayer and petition, his hear can be softened to the point of surrender to the God of the universe. THATs when God can truly work in his life. THAT is my prayer and petition on behalf of Richard…
I am praying for those who are trying desperately to help him before it’s too late.
In my early morning prayer time, Lord, I weep for Richard… I weep for the poor choices and wrecked lives he’s left behind… but I know You love him enough to have died for him… and Your resurrection provides a way for us to be reconciled with You. He is the one, and You have left the ninety nine to rescue him. Lord, with all that I am, I plead with You to send Your Holy Spirit to call to Richard, and bring him home… that he would find your saving grace and place his trust in You… and go on to reach other Richards for Your glory….
In Your precious name I pray… petition… beg…. Amen
SB
Journey-For-Life 