I woke up Sunday with this disturbance of my spirit. I’m not one who places much stock in the whims of emotions or “gut instinct” because I’m a woman, and many times my emotions can be WAY OFF COURSE! And let’s be honest, some times it’s not emotions, it’s a need for chocolate.
But I am a HUGE believer in the power of prayer and the prompting of the Spirit. Over the last few years I have begged God to reveal Himself in real, evident and powerful ways. So He has.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
Romans 8:6
More times than not, when I have felt or experienced Him the most it’s because I had come to the end of myself and had nothing but Him to hold on to. As my heart softened to Him and began to cultivate a real, powerful and two-way relationship with Him, I started to find myself with these “promptings” if you will. Tiny whispers to my heart to pray for something specific, or over someone in particular.
(I totally get that to anyone who have never walked with Jesus, that last sentence can be totally freaky to you. Don’t right me off yet. Hang tight. For those of you who know what I mean, you get this!)
There are a ton of times I will feel this prompting and because of fear, or feeling uncomfortable I brush it off and go on with my day. But I am learning to listen to His whispers more and more. The truth is, the more I obey these promptings, the more I see His fingerprints over everything around me.
Sunday morning we planned to sleep in, take the kids to a movie and do some shopping. It’s the beautiful benefit to Saturday night church! A sweet friend was driving home Sunday and would be on the interstate for several hours. With Florida rain storms, construction and “seasoned” drivers in our state, it can give anyone pause to make a long drive. But all morning long this particular drive kept tugging at my heart. So much so that the unsettling of my soul didn’t go away until I stopped my day and prayed. I sent a quick text to my friend knowing she likely hadn’t hit the road yet, just to encourage her and let her know I was praying for safety. All day, every time I thought of her I prayed for safety. It’s a straight drive. No crazy hills, or mountains, or weird directions. Florida is flat and long and more than anything the drive is BORING.
But I couldn’t stop praying for her.
Today I know why.
As I spoke with her this morning I discovered her car ride home was hardly boring. Her car fishtailed and landed in the guardrails. My friend, perfectly safe. No other passengers involved.
It reaffirms for me how important it is to obey the Spirit when He calls us to pray. Even if it may seem foolish, or insignificant. I have often “felt” that my prayers bounce up to the roof and get stuck in the ceiling. But the truth is far from that!
Our prayers are power. Our prayers make a difference. Our prayers change our lives more than anything.
I am fully confident that God was capable of protecting my friend regardless of my prayer. I am certain that there were more people than myself praying for her. But I also know, I prayed, and my life changed. I got to see the power of God’s hand in her life. I got the blessing of obedience. I got the reminder that my call to prayer isn’t just about laying up my desires or my wishes, but about serving others. And the gift of prayer is truly the most powerful gift I have.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:18
Need Prayer? Leave me a comment and I’ll keep it in prayer this week.
