"So God declared he would destroy them. But Moses, His chosen one, stepped between the LORD and the people. He begged Him to turn from his anger and not destroy them" Psalm 106:23
Time for honesty. Don't roll your eyes. Tell me this....
"When someone sends you an e-mail asking for prayer, do you ever take a moment and pray for them?"
"When a friend stops you and reveals a medical crisis and asks for prayer, do you ever pray for them?"
"When you see an ambulance screaming down the highway with its lights and siren in full code, do you offer a prayer of protection for their travel to the hospital?"
"When you see a young mother in WalMart with an couple of small children dancing on her last nerve, do you ask God to strengthen and calm her?"
"When you see a funeral procession driving past, do you offer a prayer of comfort to God, asking Him to guide the grieving family through their pain and loss?"
"When your pastor or Bible Study instructor stands up to teach, do you offer a word of prayer, asking God to quiet his nerves and make him sensitive to the Holy Spirit's lead?"
"When your church service is winding to a close, and the pastor is calling people to a time of decision or commitment, do you pray for people's hearts to be responsive?"
"When you are visiting in a hospital, and your friend or family member is struggling, do you pray with them before you leave? Asking God to calm and heal them?"
So you are not really into praying - especially out loud - in front of people.
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans"
Romans 8:26
Remember this: God is not impressed with your words, but He is impressed with your heart. When you pray, God is not listening to your words, He is listening to your heart song. God loves it when His children come to Him and in total honesty, pour out their concerns, doubts, and fears. Those are the prayers that bring God to the edge of His seat as He leans forward and bends His ear close to our fumbling lips.
I will give you a free tip that I take advantage of every day. That cell phone you pack around has a daytimer calendar application of some kind. If you put an appointment in the phone, it will pop up and remind you. Use that app for prayer requests. If someone is going in the hospital on Thursday, put an appointment in your daytimer and have it pop up and remind you on Thursday to pray for them.
If you promise to pray for someone, take it seriously and keep your promise. There is no higher honor that stepping into the throne room of God Almighty, approaching His throne and speaking on behalf of someone He loves. That my friend, is a high honor that holds unlimited power.
"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" Hebrews 4:16
