A Product of Prayer

No two ways about it--my life is a product of prayer. I grew up knowing that my grandmothers (& others!) prayed for me. I shudder to think how differently my life would have turned out without those prayers.

When I consider the above paragraph, I realize with fresh intensity both the privilege and responsibility of praying for others.

Samuel, the Israelite judge who anointed King David, sums it up succinctly: "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you." (1 Samuel 12:23, NIV)

I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe when we pray for others we release God's incomparable power into their lives. Prayer changes people (us included) and circumstances. Most importantly, prayer brings us into communication with the One True God who indwells us. Why would we not want to pray?

It's all too easy to fail to pray for others the way we need to. I've determined that I will never tell someone I'm praying for them without making it a reality. And I'm working on stopping to pray for people and situations as soon as I'm asked. If I accomplish nothing else on this planet, I want to be a prayer warrior.

We'll never know this side of heaven how our prayers for others have affected change, but like Samuel, we can realize the sinfulness of hoarding our prayers for our own selfish pursuits. We can make a heavenly difference in the lives of those around us through prayer. (I sometimes pray for strangers that I pass wordlessly on the street, asking God to bless them and reveal Himself to them.)

May we often consider the people who have prayed for us and recognize the times when our lives were forever altered by prayer. Let's take a good look at the people we come into contact with--some are strangers, and others are those we see on a regular basis--and unleash God's miraculous power into their lives through intercessory prayer.

Father, thank You for those who have gone before us in the journey of faith--especially those who set aside time to pray for us. Lord, I pray we won't drop the torch that's been passed to us. May we pray for others throughout the day, lifting them heavenward, and releasing Your dynamite power in them. Help us to realize the importance of prayer in Your Kingdom work, not to spend vain words on selfish agendas, but to bring about lasting change in the lives of those who cross our paths. May the world be filled with intercessory prayer warriors who bombard Heaven's gates on behalf of others. Amen.