This blog was originally posted 3/27/2012
Lately, God has been prompting me to deeper and more intentional prayer. This post from several years ago reminds me that the more specific my prayer, the easier it is for me to see God’s work in the various needs I lift to Him. The beauty here is that the God of the Universe, the Creator of all things, the One True All-Powerful God bends low to hear us and invites us to cry out to Him.
I hope today’s post prompts you to deeper prayer.
One morning recently, I noticed my 7 yr old, Sophie had not bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen for her usual bowl of cereal so I peaked in her room and saw her still sleeping in her bed. When I felt her head I noticed she had a pretty bad fever. Yep, 103.5. There’s something about a sick child that brings out all the “drop everything and tend to your baby” mommy instincts.
After I got Sophie settled on the couch with ginger ale, blanket, pillow, toast, children’s ibuprofen, thermometer and stuffed animal at her side, I finally felt like I could rest. (By the way, she was loving it! The only thing lacking was a butler bell.)
As I sat down on the couch beside her, I began to think about how my day would have to change. I would reschedule my much needed hair appointment. I’d work on my laptop there on the couch to be with her. I would post-pone some things on my to-do list. Today was about tending to my sick little girl.
Thoughts began to clear from my mind and God began to speak to me – yet another life application.
Imagine if I had gone to her room and noticed her sleeping, felt her head and decided the best plan of action was to pull a blanket over her, shut the door and hope she felt better soon?
Sophie needed more than a blanket!
How often do we use the blanket approach to our prayers for the people in our lives that are in need?
We often walk into circumstances with friends, family, neighbors and coworkers and instead of seeking to help them or really dig deep in prayer for them we offer a blanket prayer.
Blanket prayers sound a lot like this:
Lord, please bless her. (Bless her what?)
Lord, do a work in his life. (What kind of work?)
Lord, be with them. (Be with them when, where, why?)
But in all the hurt I see around me it’s clear that people need more than blanket prayers. In fact, one of the greatest travesties about blanket prayers is that when we offer up blanket prayers, we often miss out on the reality that God goes to great lengths to answer prayer and meet needs in people’s lives.
I’ve said it many times, “The more specific I pray the more aware I become of how God delights to provide specific responses!”
I’ve been blessed, through LifeHouse, to establish some new friendships and in those new relationships I have seen people going through hard times. As I lift them in prayer, I see God work. He not only encourages and helps the one I’m praying for but He builds my faith as well.
So, here is something to consider. Here’s what I’m learning…
- I need to look around me. I don’t have to look far to find someone around me who is hurting and in need of prayer.
- I need to pray for them specifically:
- For example: Lord, I came in to find Sophie sick with fever this morning. I pray you will heal her body. I pray she will be feeling better soon. You know how easy it is as a mom to worry when our kids are sick. Help me to trust you and know that You are the great Healer. Please allow this time that she is home with me to be an opportunity to invest in her life. In Jesus Name, Amen.
- When I pray, I need to remember that my good God knows the best plan of action in each and every situation. So when I go to Him, I don’t need to go with suggestions on how He should work. I don’t need to fill Him in on what’s going on. Rather, I should express the need and ask Him to align my heart with His. Then, I watch Him work.
- God might want me to be a part of meeting a need: Is there a way that I can reach out and meet a need physically while God works to encourage this person’s heart and soul?
- Ministering to someone in my life may mean I need to re-arrange my schedule.
- It’s important that I stay connected to the person in need so that I can pray accordingly. As God is working and answering, my prayers will probably change.
Let’s not offer our loved-ones “Blanket prayers”. They need more than that. It will be a chance for us to encourage someone’s heart while building our faith along the way.
I know I wrote this four years ago but I want to give an update on how prayer has blessed me today. I recently began praying for some needs brought to me by friends. I asked how I could pray specifically. They trusted me enough to be vulnerable with me and share their heavy burdens. We’ve stayed connected about the prayer needs and they update me, sometimes on a daily basis, how the situation was changing or what new development had occurred. What I am seeing is that praying with someone about their burdens builds a bond with them and a lasting friendship. Not only that, we are able to see God work and talk about His faithfulness. This too encourages the heart.
