Let Others Help

About a year ago, I made a commitment to pray for all of my Facebook friends each month.  I wanted to share with others the love of God, and I wanted to find tangible ways to strengthen my prayer life.  So, each month, I print out a list of all my Facebook friends and I pray for twenty of them each day.  (On a side note, I really dislike the fact that you can only tag 10 friends in a post.  I have to make two different posts each day to tag my 20 friends.  It is not a huge inconvenience, but it does cause me to have to stretch my creativity as I think about a different way to convey the same message on two different posts.)  This has really been a blessing on my life to be able to pray for others.

I have seen God work in so many different ways as I have prayed this last year.  It has been amazing to see how many prayers that God has answered.  People report back after asking for prayer about how they are closing on houses, repairing broken marriages, finding peace in the midst of sorrow, receiving the energy to make it through the day, finding work, making ends meet, and so much more.  I truly believe that these have all occurred because of God's hand at work.  Seeing the answers to these prayers has not even been the most amazing thing that I have seen come out of this.  Each day, I move down the list of names (which is in a different order each month) and pray.  At least every other day, someone from the list tells me of how the knowledge of someone praying for them was just what they needed that day.  I serve God who in advance already knows and has orchestrated just the day that I will pray for another so that they may feel the love of God when they need it most.  Coincidence?  Not on an every other day scale.  

Now that I have given you the background for today's blog posting (you had no idea that is what you were reading, did you), let me tell you where I am having difficulty.  As I have lifted the needs up of others as they have posted them in comments or messages, they have also responded by asking about what they can pray for concerning me.  Normally when I receive such a response, I do not respond back with any requests.  I kept thinking that this was a ministry to them not for me.  It was not that I felt that I had things together, or that my life was in better shape or even that I did not need prayer (because I always do).  I just did not want to detract from what I was trying to share with them.  

Lately though, my thoughts about it have changed.  I have learned some truths about people and about God that have caused me to shift my position and respond to these requests.  In Romans 15, Paul urges the church in Rome to join him in praying to God for himself.  He asks that they pray for his ministry, his safety, and his joy.  I thought about how much of a blessing it has been to witness the way that God has moved in the lives of others as I have prayed for them.  My faith has been strengthened by what I have witnessed.  People need to see tangible evidence of their faith at work.  It helps us to grow in out faith as we see that God does actually care and is at work.  I have denied others this same blessing as I have withheld my prayer requests from them because God has been faithful to meet each need in my life.  I have also learned that God desires us to strengthen one another by showing care for one another. By not responding to these requests, in some way, I denied the opportunity to reciprocate care with one another.  

So here it is, allow others to help.  It not just a blessing for you, it is a blessing for them as well.  So I urge you to please pray for me as I pray for you.  I need continual prayer for being the spiritual leader in my household, for my walk with God to always come first, and for my ministry to students in Clovis, NM.  I will surrender to you other specific requests as they arise and if you ask, I will share with you my needs in the moment.  Thank you for blessing me; may my prayers always be a blessing to you as well.