"I'll keep you in my prayers." or
"I'll be praying for you."
How many times have you said this to someone and then failed to follow through? I admit that I am guilty. I know I have said it and genuinely meant to do so. I really did! Most of the time I do pray, right then, right there (albeit silently). But, again, I am guilty...
Prayer changes lives. It alleviates the hurting through tough times. It provides hope for restoration. And prayer battles the enemy. That's why prayer is not a casual promise.
Just today, I found out a sweet girl I team taught with last year is experiencing complications with her pregnancy (due April 1). Jessica has been told not to go back to work until she meets with a "high risk pregnancy" doctor on Thursday. I told a few other teachers about this and how worried I am for her. IMMEDIATELY, one of them said we should stop right then, hold hands and pray for her. And so we did - right there in my classroom during our planning period. What a beautiful prayer it was! An African-American woman, her deep, rich voice resonating with the strong faith she had, prayed for the healing and safety of Jessica and that precious baby. What a testimony: She didn't just agree that we should pray for Jessica. She did it, right then and there!
Am I saying that every case warrants this beautiful story? No... I just need to remember that the gift of prayer is powerful. Not a casual gift... a meaningful gift... a powerful gift.
Amen to that and very true.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you 100% - guilty here.
ReplyDeleteWe are all guilty ~ after all, we are human. As odd as this sounds, I've begun writing down prayer needs and requests ~ I'm a list maker by nature and this works for me. With the start of the new year I've begun each day with prayer requests and if need be, end my day with them.
ReplyDeleteI think it WONDERFUL that you were able to stop and pray for your team teacher. I'm not sure many of us at my school would risk such an act in our public school ~ so sad that we've come to this.
Jo
What a great story and a great reminder!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I absolutely love how your friend had y'all pray right then and there. I need to be more like this!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right and I, too, am guilty as charged!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. We sometimes need a reminder to stop in our tracks, fall on our knees and call out to our Lord and Savior. Some of the most memorable moments of my life were spent with girlfriends in a circle in prayers.
ReplyDeleteAt 4:30 today I received a call from my sister that her MIL just coded and please say a prayer.....I said will do....hung up, closed my eyes and "ding dong"...the doorbell rings...girl scout cookies....sit back down....phone rings...hubby going to be late....1 minute later, son needs help with something......well you get the picture...here it is almost 5 hrs. later and I read your blog, hits home hard....SOOO GUILTY...THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.....will NOT be guilty again!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet story. I, too, am guilty of saying that and not doing it. Thanks for sharing your story and the gentle reminder.
ReplyDeleteBTW...Case in point (Granny Smith Green Blog)a little girl needs our prayers. Just got off my knees from praying for her and her family.
ReplyDeleteTears are filing my eyes! You blog girls are an amazing bunch. Just think of how our little world is changing? We CAN make a difference by following through with our prayers for one another. Blessings to all of you!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you! I try to do it the minute I say it so I don't forget! xoxo
ReplyDeleteSC
I too have been guilty of this...or I pray once right then and there and then forget to continue the prayers. A blog friend sent me a prayer journal a few weeks ago (out of the blue) and it is helping me....it has sections for asking, praising, learning, etc. LOVE it.
ReplyDeleteI have a prayer journal, but don't do a good job keeping up with it. I do stop to pray right then, but often don't do it often enough...and it really bothers me. I need to figure out a way to be better about it. I have a friend who used to send me prayer emails. That meant a lot to me. Thanks for the reminder that I need to do better!
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