A plug for prayer

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

~ James 5:16

I hope everyone has seen Sharon's new blog, Prayer and Praises to God. (Not just because I have a prayer request on it, *wink*.)

Sharon has been doing a great job of "keeping track" of prayer needs on the sidebar of her main blog but she has recently moved them offsite to a separate blog dedicated to prayer and prayer requests.

I want to say thank you to Sharon for doing this. I think it is great to have a "central" place to go to gather all our petitions together. I'm looking forward to the list growing and having the privilege of lifting up your burdens.

I was telling Sharon that I think that blogging has made me a better pray-er. I certainly pray MUCH more than I ever did before. Even if there are no specific prayer requests, just reading about your everyday lives gives me plenty to pray about - praise and thanksgiving as well as petitions for needs. I am just as thankful for the opportunity to pray for you all as I am for your prayers on my behalf.

As the Body, we are connected to one another by the Holy Spirit, but in prayer there is an added dimension to that connection. I am learning how powerful - and at the same time humbling - it is to intercede for others. I get on my knees - for you. And you do the same for me.

Here's the thing: before I became a blogger, if a friend had a need, usually my first instinct was to try to help them in a physical way if possible. God has given me the gift of mercy, so this is a strong instinct in me - and it is right for me to exercise that gift. But to pray about their need was always secondary - after I had done all I could do then I gave it to God. How proud and arrogant of me!

The geographical distance that separates me from my blogging friends has necessarily limited my ability to be able to "do" something when they have a need. I can't you know, run over with a casserole. Most times all I really CAN do it pray. Over time, this has transformed how I exercise my gift of mercy and how I view intercessory prayer. Instead of relying on my own ability to grant mercy, I must trust God to grant His. If I can be an instrument of His mercy, great. But if not, it's still in His hands. Prayer for the needs of another is not an action of "last resort" - it is the foremost thing I can do!

This has spilled over into my entire prayer life, strengthening and enriching it. I pray more often, for more things, for a longer time. I can't explain why, but being in prayer for others has had the lovely side effect of bringing a greater intimacy in my own relationship with Him. He seems nearer, and more accessible somehow. (That, of course, is just a product of my perception. He's always been near and accessible.) I guess more than anything else, I am noticing how often He leads me in prayer, laying burdens on my heart for others and prompting me to intercede on their behalf.

Yes, I still need to be more bold to bring my own needs to his throne, but even in this area I am more likely to lift that up to Him than before. But the bottom line is this: praying for you is a blessing to me. How like our heavenly Father to work on my heart in this quiet, gentle way.