INVITATION TO PRAYER

HOW I PRAY FOR YOU

For several years I have been living in my newly built home in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia which I have named Eagle Summit. The property of my son, Rick, the house is mine to use while I live on Planet Earth. My vision and prayer is for God to use it for Christian hospitality, to continue my writing ministry, and prayer. I’ve asked God to draw people here in person, through e-mail, my web site, my blog, letters, and phone calls who may have prayer needs. This is both an awesome responsibility and a wonderful privilege.

In the movie, The Field of Dreams, the theme was “You build it; they will come!” I pray every morning for people who will “come” in the above ways. I ask the Holy Spirit to bring to my mind and heart and in person all and only those for whom God has some purpose in our encounter. I want to be available for such people to minister to me and to minister to and pray for them.

I believe people come into one’s life for a reason, even if sometimes only for a season. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta put it this way: “The very fact that God has placed a certain soul in our path is a sign that God wants us to do something for him or her. It is not by chance; it has been planned by God.” I recognize my limitations and feel my spiritual weakness. I lean hard on the work of the Holy Spirit because prayer is not my work but God’s. There aren't enough hours in the day were I to pray depending on speaking words aloud or formulating them in my mind. I have a busy schedule with worship, writing, family, and daily responsibilities.

There are many different ways of praying, of course, according to our personal relationship with the Lord and private expressions of devotional life. I am discovering that when I pray I don’t have to do a lot of talking to the Lord or explaining, pleading, or even suggesting how He should answer the prayers. Nor do I presume to always know the will of God. I simply need to acknowledge God’s loving presence and sit before Him in silence adoring Him, focusing on Him, and keeping the ears of my heart open to listen while His Holy Spirit does the talking.

Since I’m not the one to answer the prayers, I shouldn't feel pressure. Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Jesus is the one Mediator, the continual Intercessor on our behalf because He paid the ultimate price and opened the Way for us to boldly approach God. God is the One who answers prayer. When we “…don’t know how to pray as we should…,” (Romans 8:26-28) the Holy Spirit with "groanings which can't be uttered," apparently without the need for words, delivers our prayers to God.

When I simply mention a person's name or his need audibly, mentally, in my spirit, or in prayer language, the Holy Spirit runs front to bring that request to Father God in the Name of Jesus.” Since the Holy Spirit already knows the will of God, I can be sure God will answer. When or where or how He answers should be irrelevant to me. All that’s needed is to lift up the person or need to the Lord and ask for His will to be done in that situation.

It was enough for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to inform Him of the need during the wedding at Cana. She simply stated, “They have no wine.” She didn’t tell Him what to do about it, how, or when.

When the sisters at Bethany sent a message to Jesus about their dying brother, they didn’t request or demand a specific action from Him. They simply stated the fact: “He whom You love is sick.” They did not say “He [Lazarus] who loves You is sick,” or “We love You therefore You should hurry and help us.” They focused on Jesus’ love for Lazarus. Therefore, when I bring your need to God, I am doing so because of Jesus’ love for you. I want you to understand that I am asking for God’s perfect will for you and I’m not trying to arm wrestle the Son of God into doing anything my way—or your way.

I welcome you to share your prayer requests according to my suggestions in THE PRAYER CORNER above. Allow me to participate in your joy when God answers. Then we will thank the Lord together!

“There is nothing the devil fears so much, or so much tries to hinder, as prayer.”

Saint Philip Neri (1595)

#THE END