I used to never ask for prayer for myself. I thought it was somehow selfish, or I just didn’t want others to know my business. However, through many life challenges, I came to understand that the prayers of others give us the connection, support, strength and encouragement we desperately need. When I pray for another, I am ushering them straight to the throne room of God where I know they are loved and cherished, Hebrews 4:16. I am trusting and acknowledging God to be the one they need.
If you would ask me if I trust my Savior, I would immediately tell you a resounding yes and I would believe that answer to be the truth. Yet God has been teaching me lately through some recent health issues that maybe I’m not as strong in my faith as I’d like to think. I tend to be a bit of a worrier, which leads to a great deal of anxiety. I know in my heart that God will bring all things together for good for those who love the Lord, Romans 8:28. I trust that He has a plan to prosper me and not to harm me, Jeremiah 29:11. Still, if I allow my mind to wander, rather than staying focused on Christ, I will start worrying about the how, rather than the who. I recently read that our worry is worshipping the problem; whereas prayer is surrendering the problem.
I can see myself clearly, knelt before the cross with my clenched fists, tightly grasping my latest worry, but if I keep holding onto that problem, then I cannot open my hands to actually place it in the hands of my Lord. If I pray for something better, yet still cling to my sorrow so tightly by continually trying to solve it on my own, I never open my hands to allow the Father to place in them something better. Life is extremely difficult, and it’s sometimes easy to get more focused about the condition we are in rather than who he is. The pain we experience does not negate the fact that God is enough. God is good. God is love.
The prayers of others are so important to keep us pressing forward. If we are honest and real, there is not one of us who hasn’t cried sometime. There is not one of us who doesn’t get scared, and we all make mistakes. Admitting this to each other doesn’t mean we’ve lost faith. It means we trust the family of believers that God has given us to, and it means that we are feeling a little weaker than usual so we need those prayers to lift us. What would happen if we were to admit when we need help?
I’m reminded of the story in Luke 5 where a group of friends brought a crippled man to Jesus for healing. When they couldn’t get inside to where Jesus was, they made a hole in the roof and lowered him where Jesus healed him. The friends knew this man needed Jesus. The man could not get there on his own, so his friends made it happen. I admit that there have been times in my life where maybe I was crippled with pride, arrogance, fear, ignorance or any host of things that kept me from getting in front of the Savior. I sure am glad my friends and family knew who I needed and could boldly carry me to the Savior in prayer. I now consider it such an honor to be asked to pray for someone, and I consider it a necessity to ask others to pray for me.
We all need prayer warriors in our life. Not because of the individual strength and power they possess, but because they know the only strength, power and glory is held by the one they are carrying you to. Do you have any worries tonight? Maybe asking a friend to pray with or for you will make all the difference. After all, in 2 Corinthians 12:9 we are told, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
