Praying for each other is something we often take for granted. We pray for those closest to us, those mentioned in a church service, or maybe someone expresses a need for prayer in a grocery store conversation or on a facebook post, and we promise to pray for them. Then, life gets in the way, and though we don't intend to, we get too busy, or forgetful, and we fail to fulfill or duty to pray.
I know sometimes it seems everywhere you turn, you feel bombarded with prayer requests. Have you ever considered there might be a reason for that?
It is my OPINION that God gives tasks to those He knows will complete them. I did not say 'could' complete them, but 'will'. I believe He gives us tasks that He knows we want to do to bring Him honor and glory. I believe He lead me to create a page on facebook just for that purpose.
A couple of weeks ago, I created a page, led by the Holy Spirit I believe, to join people together to pray for a little girl, 9 months old, with a severe and life threatening lung condition. A condition so serious that she is now awaiting lung transplant. I wanted a way to contact as many people as possible when the call came that she was going to be getting her lungs, with a goal through those contacts of having as many people as possible to meet at my home church, Peachtree Baptist Church in Jasper, TX, for a prayer vigil (meeting, gathering, whatever) for this baby and her family as they prepared for what could possibly be the best, or worst day of their lives. So, again, I feel I was led either by the Holy Spirit or God Himself, to create this page, Jasper, Texas area Prayer Warriors. This was after the first notice we received that lungs had become available for tiny Parson Blue. After attempting to notify as many people as possible at 10:00 on a Saturday night, 5 of us met at our church, and joined in prayer for this baby and her family. Unfortunately, because of an infection she had in her PICC line (basically an IV that goes into a vein usually through the upper chest area and takes a surgical procedure itself for insertion). But it was very shortly after meeting these other women at our church to pray that I started thinking there has to be a better way of notifying more people at one time to be praying "in on accord", and the Jasper Texas Area Prayer Warrior page was born.
Since it's beginning, that page has been used to pray for many others, as well as for our precious Parson Blue. I say 'our' because she feels like family to our entire community! In the less than two weeks of the page existence, already, prayers have been answered. I KNOW there is power in prayer, and I KNOW there are thousands of PRAYER WARRIORS out there. So I am trying every possible avenue I can come up with to bring as many of those warriors together in prayer for the same subject at the same time.
I believe God gives each of us a gift, a spiritual gift. I believe that because, as the children's song goes, "the BIBLE tells me so". I'm not a Biblical scholar by any definition of the word so I'm not going to try to quote scripture to you, (though I will look it up on Bible Gateway!).
1 CORINTHIANS 12 (yep! entire chapter, but please read it! All emphasis is mine)
Concerning Spiritual Gifts
12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Unity and Diversity in the Body
12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.
Love Is Indispensable
And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
You see? God gives each of us a special, spiritual gift and He expects us to use that gift. I don't know if I have a gift of prayer, I don't think so. But I do not let that stop me from praying. But we all have gifts OF SOME KIND, whether we understand what those gifts are or not.
Look at verse 27 again. "Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it." As my pastor has told us in many different sermons, some may be the head, some the big toe, and some may be the left or right kidney. Without any of these, the body does not function properly! So, without each of you using your spiritual gifts, whatever they may be, our body, our church bodies, THE BODY OF CHRIST, cannot function properly.
Whether you have the gift of prayer or not, we are still all commanded to pray for each other. THAT is what all of this is about. We NEED each other, whether through prayer (which we all can do), or the gift of healing or guidance, or whatever. We need each other. Let's use the one gift that we all have at least a small portion of, PRAYER, and join each other as needed to pray especially for a certain individual or situation.
Included in this entry is the post I put on the facebook page of Jasper Texas Area Prayer Warriors. Part of that post is a plea to share the post and page with friends and asking them to do the same. This is a public page. You do not have to have special permissions to 'join' the page. But please do join! Give the page a 'like' and then watch for posts asking for prayer. When a request comes, if possible, meet with other prayer warriors somewhere, anywhere, and PRAY! That's what it is all about, praying for each other, so let's do just that! PRAY FOR EACH OTHER!!
Thank you all for reading this and I ask you to also please feel free to repost this. Let's work together to involve as many of God's people, His prayer warriors, in meeting a special need of prayer for each other.
God bless you all and it is my prayer right now that you each have a blessed day!
Facebook post:
This page is about sharing our need for prayer, praying for each other, and sharing the answers to those prayers. I would love to have all of you and your friends to join us by simply 'liking' the page and joining us in prayer. Started to inform people of prayers and vigils for one tiny little girl, this page, in 2 very short weeks, has been used to pray for SO many different people, all over our great country. It has significantly changed my personal prayer life from being about me and issues directly around me, to praying for people I have never met, but they, or someone for them, voiced a need or request for prayer, so I prayed. I know there are many of you out there who have also joined me in prayer for various individuals, situations, or events. I hope that you will share this page with others who would also join us in prayer. As we all know, there is power in prayer and the more warriors you have on the front lines, the better chance you have of defeating the enemy. Our enemy is satan and his worldly ways. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, stands at the right hand of God giving Him our requests as we give them to Him. Please share this page with your church family, your prayer groups, friends, and anyone that you believe might be in need of prayer in a mighty way. Ask them to join our group. "Membership" is easy. Simply liking the page and then praying when a request comes along is all it takes. You DO NOT have to live in, or be from, the Jasper, Texas area to join us or submit a request.
As you hear of a request or need for prayer, please, post that request on the page. If you have difficulty posting it to this page for any reason, then please send that request to my personal page, Scrappinmama2533, and I will be sure to post it on this page.
Feel free to copy and paste this request, or write one of your own, and send it to all of your friends and ask them to do the same. Facebook has been used in the past to cause a great deal of harm to some. I want to use it now for good, for GOD'S work. Please join me.
Judy
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