I am a firm believer in every person having their own prayer team in place. Why? Because God loves community and connectedness. He loves vulnerability and real relationship. He longs for us to be intimately connected to Him and to His Body.
Let's face it. It is far too easy to hide. It is far too easy, even for those involved in a church (big or small). It is far too easy, even for, and maybe especially for, those leading ministries. If we are all hiding from each other, putting on the happy face or ignoring those who can read through your happy face, where do we practice intimacy, true relationship, bearing each others burdens, walking with each other through messes, and love and forgiveness?
We started our personal prayer team almost 11 years ago. I have a small group of my closest friends who pray for my most intimate prayer needs and the messiest parts of me. I have a fairly large prayer team that covers us as we make our leaping decisions and are in battle for us on a regular basis. We try to be as vulnerable as possible with this group. We have an even larger group of people we don't know as well who are committed to praying for our family. I truly don't know how we would've ever made it through the last 6 years without them. We've learned how valuable this web of connectedness and friendship is. We've experienced the Lord speaking and leading us through these people in ways I simply cannot even describe in a post. It is the supernatural Body of Christ speaking to us, lifting us up, encouraging us, exhorting us. We are not alone. We are not an island.
I think every person needs a prayer team. No person is too insignificant. No issue too small to pray over. A prayer team helps you know you aren't alone in your marriage struggles, parenting struggles, work or life struggles. It's a safe place to share the wacky things rattling around in your brain that make you feel isolated and overwhelmed. And though I will pray for needs of ministries or missionaries that come in the form of lists and impersonal letters, it's even more invigorating praying for my friends. It's a privilege to hear and take the most intimate and personal needs of my friends to the throne of God. . . and then watch Him answer!
Start with a few of your closest friends who will love you no matter what you share. Ask them to be on your prayer team. Start sharing things with them to pray about . . . not gossip about, talk through until you're blue in the face, or try to fix. They are the ones you can text or email in the moment of struggle who will pray right now. There are days when I cannot get out of the fog in my head, or the condemnation, or the temptation. So I email my prayer team and literally within minutes, I can feel a change in the situation. Prayer works. Jesus hears us. Jesus answers.
Go ahead. Start your prayer team tonight. You won't regret it (unless, of course, you don't have any trustworthy, loving friends who will love you no matter what. :-) In that case, email me. I'll be your first prayer partner.)
I Thessalonians 5:17
"Keep on praying."
I Peter 1:22
"Now you can have sincere love for each other as brothers and sisters because you were cleansed from your sins when you accepted the truth of the Good News. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your hearts."
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