Really Praying?

Good Morning Everyone,

Has anyone asked you to pray for them lately?
As a Christian, this should be happening to us often.
Yet as I was thinking about this last night, a scenario
played itself out in my thoughts, and I just had to share it
with you.

Sharon was so distraught, it seemed everything was
falling apart in her life. Her father had just passed away
a month ago, and her heart was still heavily grieving over
her loss. Now her husband was becoming increasingly
distant, and very angry. He was home less and less.
Life had changed in texture, it seemed more lonely
and like a different world altogether. Then this week
she had gotten news back from her physician which
was so unexpected. She had cancer. Sharon's heart cried out
" God, please tell me why all this is happening."

Sharon got on the phone and called her long time friend
Nancy. When Nancy answered Sharon was so relieved
to hear her voice. It had been weeks since they had
seen each other. She started crying, and poured her
heart out to Nancy. On the other end of the phone,
Nancy was very concerned, she did love Sharon,
but she had a appointment and needed to leave quickly.
How could she gracefully get off the phone?
Sharon pleaded with Nancy to pray for her, and Nancy
promised she would, and said a few words of comfort
to her friend. Then she headed out the door to her
morning hair appointment.

That afternoon Nancy took a leisurely walk at
the downtown mall, and did a little shopping.
Then she came home and prepared dinner.
After that her favorite tv show was on, one
she just couldn't miss.

Then bedtime came, and she wondered where the
day had gone. Suddenly she remembered Sharon,
and realized she forgot to pray for her. She said
a quick prayer and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Sharon was at home in her bed
crying her heart out, trying to piece her life together
and find comfort. She needed the intercession of
true friends, who could bombard heaven with prayers
for her circumstances. She didn't need someone
who was too busy to care.

I ask you, if someone has asked you for prayer
lately, have you spent more than 2 minutes praying for them?
Whatever happened to people who were passionate about
praying for the needs of others? Why do we say a token
"I will pray for you" and then not do it? Are we taking
our spiritual life serious? Are we allowing too many things
to make us busy till we neglect the most important things of all?

If we do not pray for the lost who will?
If we do not pray for those grieving or hurting, or lonely,
or ill, who will? What is our job as a Christian? Are we
to only be ministering to ourselves, our own life, looking
out for our own needs? No... as mature Christians
our job is to minister to the needs of others also. We
are to be fervent in prayer, passionate about our relationship
for Christ, and passionate about helping others.

My friends, I believe we ought to be on our knees praying
for others until we feel peace about their situation. Not
giving up until we feel a release. This is the old fashion
type of praying I grew up watching, and I see it rarely anymore.
I can count on one hand people I can truly trust to pray when I ask.

What about you? Can you be trusted to pray?
Are you taking your spiritual life seriously? Talk to the Lord
about it this morning. This is very important. This is the
substance of a Christian character.. it is a sign of the fruits
of the spirit, of growth in Christ, and it is a necessity to those
in crisis, to know they have a community of believers to count on.

Please don't just go off and forget this devotion. Do something
about it. Please, for the sake of those in need. I get prayer
requests all the time that are so sad, and people are going through
so much, I cannot imagine how they are coping with it.

Be a warrior for Christ.

We must not become tired of doing good. We will receive our
harvest of eternal life at the right time if we do not give up.
When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should
do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in
the family of believers.
Galatians 6:9-10

love always
millie