The point of the journal is that a) no prayer request is unimportant or insignificant and b) for easy recall. Sometimes Sarah prays for people’s sick pets. Usually these are for the poor, the homeless, and friends they know whose parents have divorced. Our older two girls dictate their prayers, and Felicity may write her own down as she wishes. My husband jots down serious issues he hears about from coworkers, such as an employee whose sister recently gave birth to her second child and has been diagnosed with stage three neuroblastoma. I paste photos and funeral cards inside to remember to pray for the repose of the faithful departed. Inside, any member of the family can write down a prayer request, either for him/herself or for someone else. This is for easy access and as a universal act of solidarity for our family. We keep the journal in our living room near the space where devotionals, bibles, and statues are kept. It is exclusively for written prayer requests. I just started a prayer journal last year. Regardless of how you receive prayer requests, commit to praying for the intentions that seem to need ongoing heavenly support by writing it down somewhere. It seems to be non-threatening to share stories of trauma and abuse and even spiritual warfare issues with a person whose writing you have become acquainted with. I don’t know those who are contacting me, and maybe that’s why they reach out to someone who doesn’t know their face or name in real life. Hold the person’s hand if they are comfortable, close your eyes, and sincerely reach into the conversation you’re having so that the prayer is a true gift of love and leaves the recipient feeling consoled.īecause I am a writer and speaker, I receive prayer requests via email and social media quite frequently. Trust that the words will come to you as they need to. But asking someone who is crying or grieving or uncertain or overwhelmed, “Do you mind if we pray together right now?” or “Can I pray for you now?” breaks the tension and allows the Holy Spirit to heal in the present moment. Many of us prefer to keep our expression of prayer private, which is beautiful in itself. We are not formed in a spontaneous, evangelical demonstration of our faith. I know this can be awkward to initiate, especially for Catholics. Offering to pray with someone is usually met with gratitude from the recipient and brings comfort when he is in deep distress. This may happen with someone you know well or a complete stranger you just happened to have a deep conversation with. There are opportune times when the Holy Spirit moves us to pray aloud, in the moment, with another person. Even so, I receive unsolicited requests from family and strangers alike, and here’s what has helped me stay faithful to the call to pray for those who need it most.ĪSK TO PRAY WITH THE PERSON IN THE MOMENT. I’m also not a fan of telling someone I’ll pray for her, unless it naturally evolves from an honest connection. I’m not perfect at remembering to pray for every single request that comes my way. But it’s far more likely we’ll lose the specifics or forget someone’s name and then chuck the idea altogether, especially when we’re sleep deprived or hustling a brood of small children or transitioning from work to home. It’s easy to say we’ll pray for someone, because it sounds like a gift. Other times, prayer seems like a trite response to a person who may need us to sit with them in their pain. And then we promptly forget because of the overwhelm. Most of us find that, once we sit down to pray, we feel bogged down by the sheer number of people and intentions we promised to pray for. Amen.“I’m praying for you!” It’s become a cliché shared among Christians who want to offer support to someone they know who is struggling or hurting, yet they don’t know what else to say or do. Come reign in my heart, fill me with your love and your life, and help me to become a person who is truly loving-a person like you. I receive your forgiveness and ask you to take your rightful place in my life as my Savior and Lord. I choose now to turn from my sins, my self-centeredness, and every part of my life that does not please you. Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God, that you died on the cross to rescue me from sin and death and to restore me to the Father. Here is a simple prayer if you have not yet given your life to Jesus and invited him into yours: Choosing to believe that he is who he claimed to be-the Son of God and the only way to salvation-and receiving him by faith as your Lord and Savior is the most vital act anyone will ever do. The most important relationship for every one of us is our relationship with Jesus Christ.
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