How many of you like me when you are praying for someone or something feel the pressure to make it a lengthy prayer? For me at least it sometimes feels like I’m not giving my friend or the situation it’s proper attention if I don’t spend at least X amount of time in prayer. Now the question is “Does God need to hear all those words in order for our prayers to be effective?” Of course not! God doesn’t need any of it. But he does want to partner with us. He wants us to be involved thus the reason for him asking us to pray. Remember what we’ve been talking about lately? Learning how to listen to God in prayer and then praying what he tells us to pray. What I’ve found myself doing is hearing God say “Pray for so and so to get a job” Rather than Responding with God please be with so and so and allow them to find that job that he/she is made for that would make them happy and be able to provide for their needs. (Which is still more than he asked me to pray) I feel the need to go into great detail about the specific job, a timeline for finding the job, the type of coworkers they get to work with, the income level, Oh and please provide it in such a way that it’s clear it came from you. Is there anything wrong with giving so much detail? Probably not. Other than if God doesn’t answer in the exact way we prayed we are sometimes disappointed that God didn’t show up even when they get the job. Gods details are usually better than ours so receiving the job is a great answer even if the other things don’t work out because that is the job that God wanted you to have.
This whole topic really hit home for me this past week. The town I am currently in has a real spiritual stronghold over it. Not to the positive. I spoke with the Pastor of the church I am staying in and he agreed. This whole region known as “The Four Corners” is under an oppression for various reasons. The day I heard it I went out and begin to walk the town and pray. My prayers were big (I think I was under an adrenaline rush) I would walk by the Mormon Temple and pray that the statue on top would fall over as a symbol of God taking the town back. That the temple and both the Mormon churches in town remain filled but filled with followers of Christ. That the Mormon Seminary in town keep its current students but that they would realize the lies and become students of the one living God and that their lives be dedicated to exposing those lies. I was on a real roll. But the only thing I heard God ask me to do was to pray for the town. The next day I went out and began to walk the town in prayer again. This time nothing was coming to mind to pray but God was saying to pray for the town. So I walked around at the beginning with a lot of remember last nights prayer God… Ditto! I grew disappointed that the statue on top of the Temple was still standing and not even slightly tarnished. As I continued to walk I Began to pray “For you Lord for you” That was it God just asked me to keep repeating that phrase “For you Lord for you” Past the temple “For you Lord for you” Past the churches “For you Lord for you” through the neighborhoods “For you Lord for you” it didn’t matter where I was walking the prayer worked. The Businesses “For you Lord for you” As I began walking that night the same thing “For you Lord for you” As I began the next day God help my day to be “For you Lord for you” I have continued to pray for each of you but for the last two days my prayers for you have been that your lives be “For you Lord for you” and that’s how I want to leave this little note with you knowing that my prayers for you are simple “Lord be with them, Bless their Lives and help them to live each of their days “For you Lord for you!”
God Bless I hope you continue to have a great week and lets not forget to live it “For you Lord for you”
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