I - Intercessory Prayer

 Intercessory prayer is standing in the gap and praying for the needs of others, and it involves empathy and compassion. About a month ago Babe and I were at a stop light, we were both looking down at something in our car when we heard the sound of two cars smashing into each other. It was so loud it made us jump. There was a woman in one of the cars who was clearly in shock and was thrashing in her car. Those who are gifted at knowing what to do in an emergency acted quickly and were out of their cars checking on the passengers in each car. I had called 911 but someone else had already done it and responders were already in front of us. It happened so quickly. All Babe and I could do was pray.


Knowing how to pray can be challenging so putting ourselves in someone else’s situation helps us to pray for them. When our heart breaks over something that we cannot imagine going through; or seeing someone being mistreated or even seeing an accident - putting ourselves in those scenarios gives us the direction we need to pray for what hurts. Realizing that we are all going through something difficult in this fallen world helps us to be empathetic and caring. It also helps us grow in our relationship with the Lord.

These last two months Babe and I have been on the receiving end of intercessory prayer. There are literally over a thousand people praying for him. When the treatments first started for Babe all I could think was that he needed the prayers, not me.  After the first chemo treatment it hit me hard, I was crying one day and told him, “I’m sorry I am praying you out of heaven, but I am not ready to live without you.”  That’s when I realized why my family and friends were telling me that I was in their prayers too. They’re standing up for me, praying for me in areas I wasn’t even aware of. I am so grateful for all the prayers; I see what the power of prayer is doing. It has helped me stay positive and hopeful and be a good cheerleader.

Praying for others is an important part of our walk with God. It helps us care for others; to show kindness and compassion and it helps us connect with God on a deeper level. Babe said early on that when we get to heaven we are going to meet all the people who have prayed for us and tell them how it helped us. What a glorious day that will be!

Here are some ideas for how to pray for others: When we hear sirens and we wonder what the emergency is, stop and pray for the person or people they are going to help. Pray for people you see in the store, or on the side of the road that hold signs up asking for help. Pay attention and listen for the Holy Spirit to prompt you - He will lead you in the prayer.


The Lesson: We can’t always stop to help or give money, but we can always pray.

Pouring hope,
Nen ♥

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