Prayers Of The Many

Lamentations 3:22-23 “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.”

Before I begin today’s blog, a small caveat to yesterday’s. When I write for God, I am oftentimes writing for more than just myself. The words that fill my heart and rush out onto the paper are often the combined prayers and words of many women who write to me. It is not up to me to judge what other people say or do. I can only share with you the pain the certain actions or words can cause those women who are struggling to stay upright when their world is teetering. I share freely the circumstances behind becoming a parent to my grandchildren. But other women (and men) do not wish to have those details made public. My plea to avoid gossip was not in any way directed toward any person. It was just a plea to avoid gossiping because of the unseen damage that it can cause.

Now, on to the craziness of another day! When I heard our pastor use the today’s verse in his sermon, I had to smile to myself. It was a lesson on marriage but oh how it spoke to my heart in such a different way. When your day is filled with a teething 8 month old and a toddler heading into the terrible two’s, you just can’t wait for the clock to make its way around to bedtime. You find yourself thinking “if I could just get through today, tomorrow will be better.” (My favorite fantasy is that they will get on the same sleeping schedule, perhaps waking up around, say….noonish as opposed to midnight and 4am)

If nothing else, I am learning to ask God for every little thing. Sweetheart needs to take a test on the computer. God can you please let the girls take a nap? 3 hours later the test is finished and the girls are waking up. I can’t find a lotion for darling Coda that doesn’t inflame her eczema. God can you show me what I need? A visit to the farmers market brings a goldmine of natural substances from goats milk soap to lavender-tea tree infused lotions. I need an uplifting moment. God can you please show me someone cares? My friend Jill Savage of Hearts at Home tells me about the Jesus Calling daily devotional that takes about 2 minutes to read.

I am also learning to ask my friends for prayer. There was a time when my pride would not let me ask for prayer because it meant that I was weak and couldn’t solve things on my own. God has shown me that I am not called to do this alone. Even the great apostle Paul asked for prayers in 2 Corinthians 1:10-11 “…on Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”

There are many avenues to finding prayer warriors to lift up your prayers. If you don’t want to ask those around you (small towns can be wickedly cruel as news travels around the community) there are online resources that will open the door to literally thousands of women praying on your behalf. The ministry that I am a part of, Breath Of Life Women's Ministries, has a prayer request page. Proverbs 31 Ministries has prayer groups that you can join based on many options such as age or lifestyle. Almost every church online has a prayer link. KSBJ radio has a prayer link on their web page and you get the added benefit of being able to listen to their music online even if you don’t have a Christian radio station in your area.

Dearest Father God, thank You for showing us that prayer is the only answer to our problems. We must, must, must trust in You and allow You to show us the way. Remind us that each day is another day to start anew. Show us that in the sunrise is also the promise that You have not forgotten us and that Your mercy begins again, in spite of all that went wrong yesterday. Help us to realize that if we ask, You will provide. Give us the faith to believe , never doubting, that You are always faithful. Take away our pride. Teach us that our prayers, when combined with the prayers of other believers, will make our weakness fade, our tired bodies whole again, and will hold us up when all seems lost. In the name of Christ Jesus, Amen

copyright2012 Michelle Welch, Breath of Life Women's Ministries
photography by Michelle Welch, all rights reserved
scripture from NIV

Proverbs 31 Ministries www.proverbs31.org
KSBJ Radio www.ksbj.org
Woodlands Church www.fotw.org
Breath Of Life Women's Ministries www.breathoflifewomen.org
Jill Savage www.jillsavage.com
 Hearts-At-Home www.hearts-at-home.org