I have a number of folks to whom I turn almost immediately when I need prayer. Some of these folks pray regularly for Pam and me already, but they’re always ready to intercede the moment they hear from me. I hope you have these “on call” prayer warriors, too. If you don’t, here’s why I need these folks—and why you do, too:
- I never know what I’m going to face each day. All of us can speak of times when life unexpectedly hammered us, when a new opportunity came to us, or when our hearts were broken for any number of reasons. Those times are not the times to have to recruit prayers warriors; they’re the times to rely on those you already have in place.
- I don’t always trust my heart. I want my heart to reflect the heart of God, but I know I’m not always there. My emotions get in the way of listening and understanding, and I’m not always in the best place to verbalize my heart before God (though I try). It’s then I need others interceding for me.
- I can let burdens consume me. I don’t want that to happen, yet it does. In fact, I can let burdens become idols to me when I fail to leave them at the feet of the Father. I struggle admitting that truth, but I know I sometimes lose focus and sleep under the heaviness of a burden—and I need to know others are praying for me then.
- Sometimes I’m not sure how to pray about a need or situation. Because I let burdens challenge me, and because I know my heart can be deceitful, I’m not always immediately certain how to pray about any given situation. I ask the Lord for wisdom and clarity, but I also ask others to pray that I will hear the Lord through His Word, His Spirit, and His people.
- I find renewed hope in remembering I have brothers and sisters praying for me. Just in the last few days, I faced situations I did not know how to address. Worry knocked at my door until I called on two prayer warriors to pray with me. Neither even asked what the concerns were, but they immediately went to praying. It’s hard to explain how comforted I was by their response.
- I find great examples in my “on call” prayer warriors. These brothers and sisters walk with the Lord. They trust Him. They rely on Him. They love to talk to Him. They believe in the power of prayer, and they’ve seen God move in response to their intercessions. I want to be like them; I want to be that kind of prayer warrior for others.
Here’s my challenge: no matter what your position is in your church, enlist 3-5 “on call” prayer warriors this week and put them to work. They will want to pray for you, and your week will be different when you seek their prayer support.