The Prayers of Many

My life journal reading today….

 

SCRIPTURE:  

II Corinthians 1:10b-11

On him we have set our hope that he will come to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

OBSERVATION:

Our prayers sustain people in their journeys. Our prayers uphold and sustain the work of God on earth. When we pray, God acts.  Paul and the other disciples experienced many hardships.  He does not say that prayer removed those hardships – but it is clear that the challenges he met were NOTHING compared to the power of the Spirit to move and act in spite of those hardships.  Prayer changes things.

APPLICATION:

It is easier to talk about prayer than it is to stop the chatter and just start praying.  It is easier to NOT ask someone to pray for you than it is to say, “yes…please pray for….”  The power of prayer is unlimited.  Prayer reminds me that God is able to do what looks impossible by human logic.  Prayer will break down barriers and remove obstacles when the Lord’s plans are involved. It doesn’t mean that the obstacle is always gone – but it has no power to obstruct the purposes of God.  

Since I returned from Guatemala I have been sharing the story of how doors were opened to us and we were blessed with much hospitality and grace in the La Toma School.  This was the fruit of many years of relationship building and it was the fruit of much prayer. I have asked people to pray about the continued work there and very specifically for discernment and open doors if it is within God’s plan for me to return for a bit more teaching and encouraging while the door is “open”.   As I was reading II Corinthians this morning, Paul’s journeys sparked a deeper interest in me because of this.  We all have desires and dreams but it is in prayer that the Lord aligns our hearts with the plans of the Creator.  There is always much we do not know, but with our humble prayers we can trust the Lord to act for the greater purposes in all things.

We are establishing prayer partners for many of the children in the 4th grade class at La Toma.   When we went back into their classroom to teach more, we asked them to express their faith with art.  Our team brought the art home to share with the church and get prayer partners for the children.  It is such a joy to see people take on an act of love that costs no money, but is a pure gift of the heart…to pray for someone.  Who  is praying for you? Who are you praying for? 

PRAYER:

Lord, thank you for providing a clear and easy way for us to stay in communication with you in prayer.  Thank you for involving us in your work on earth. I trust you completely.

YIELD:

I will depend on prayer and invite others into the blessing of prayer so that we can all rejoice together as prayers are answered. I accept the will and timing of God.