I don’t know about you, but I often feel overwhelmed by the daily news. But one prayer can make a difference.

Whether it’s in my community, the state, our nation, or the world, the amount of evil out there is just plain disturbing. I know that many good things are also happening, but those are often overshadowed by what isn’t.

Prayer is the powerful antidote to evil.

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To counteract this helpless, hopeless feeling, Mary and I thought it would be helpful for us to focus our prayers. Even when an event seems so horrific that we despair of being able to do anything to help, we need to remember that prayer is the powerful antidote to evil. Let us not ever forget that. The enemy wants us to be overwhelmed and ineffective. That is not what the Bible says.

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16

The Greek word for powerful in this sentence is Ischyo.  Are you ready for its definition? It means “to be effective, capable of producing results.” Wow. Our prayers are capable of producing results —  even when ISIS is on the move, even when the diagnosis is cancer, even when aborted baby parts are being sold on the market, even when refugees are backed up on a country’s border.

To help us focus our prayers, several times a week, we will select a person, issue, or topic for us to pray about. The reminder will be short, perhaps just a sentence or two in the sidebar of our website OnlyByPrayer under the heading One Prayer. Please add your one-minute prayer silently or aloud to the collective praying we will all be doing. If you’d like you can tweet that day’s prayer focus using #OnePrayer.

Let’s stop sticking our heads in the sand and take advantage of the very real power of prayer. God did not make us helpless but bestowed upon us the gift and responsibility of prayer to bring about real change in the world.

Pray on!

Resources for the Current Prayer Concern

9-7-20  Prayers for Wildfires

8-5-20 Beirut Explosion

7-17-20 Coronavirus Prayer Resources

7-17-20: Prayers for our Leaders

7-17-20 Prayers for First Responders

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Whether it feels like it or not where you live, summer has arrived in full force. In July we usually enjoy long, hot days with lots of sunshine. Summer evenings are illuminated by thousands of lightning bugs, and crickets and cicadas serenade us with a chorus of songs.

Thanks for taking some time to pray with Only By Prayer this month.

1. Independence Day, July 4 — In 1776, the American colonies won their independence from Great Britain, and we have enjoyed the privileges of a free nation ever since. As we consider the persecution that many are suffering around the world for personally held beliefs, our freedom is not to be taken lightly. In recent years, controversies regarding race, sexual orientation, religion, and politics have made us seem anything but the United States of America. We can pray for Americans to seek God and His plans for their lives and our nation.

Resources:

Intercessors for America

Verse: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

Prayer: Jesus, we thank You for the freedom we have enjoyed for many years in America. We never want to take these for granted. May we keep a spirit of thankfulness ever before us. Many times, however, we have abused these freedoms and made ourselves an offense to You by our sin. We ask for Your forgiveness. May Americans repent and turn to You, seeking Your plans for us as individuals and for our nation as a whole. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

2. Mission Trips — Churches frequently schedule mission trips during the summer months when individuals and families may have a bit more time to devote to this commitment. Let’s pray that God prepares the hearts of all those involved. This can be a life-changing experience for both those going and those who are on the receiving end of the mission’s work.

Resources:

Avoiding Pitfalls of Short-term Mission Trips

Verse: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 NIV

Prayer: Lord, may the short-termers’ first thought be of preparing their hearts before You and seeking Your plans for the trip. We ask that those going would be aware of cultural customs so as not to offend anyone and would be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We pray for safety and good health while traveling. For those whom the trip is planned, we pray for salvation, healing, and growth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

3. Ebola — Although it’s been out of the news lately, Ebola continues to be a problem in certain parts of the world. Liberia, which the World Health Organization declared clear of Ebola in May 2015, has just confirmed two new cases. Neighboring countries Sierra Leone and Guinea are still reporting several cases every week. Let’s pray that this disease can be wiped out and that another widespread outbreak does not occur.

Resources:

News Story

Verse: Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. Psalm 103:3 NIV

Prayer: Lord, we pray that the scourge of Ebola would be wiped off the earth. We ask for healing for those who are suffering from this illness. We pray it will not spread any more. We pray it will not cross the boundaries of cities and countries. We ask a hedge of protection around those who have contact with Ebola patients. Please give the doctors and health care workers wisdom as they treat those infected. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

4. Shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston – Nine people were killed at this black church when a lone, white gunman opened fire after a prayer meeting that he attended. Since then, three arson fires have been set at predominately black churches in the South. These tragedies should spur us on to pray against racism in the United States. We have always been a melting pot of different races and cultures; rather than letting that divide us, let’s be a force for prayer that can overcome prejudice and hate.

Resources:

Prayer Against Racism and Prejudice

Verse: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34.

Prayer: Jesus, out of a heart filled with love, You died so that we might all have eternal life. When You look at us,You see your children. Help us to remember we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. May our hearts cultivate a spirit of love. We ask for healing at Emanuel Church and for the friends and families of those murdered.  We pray for these other churches that were victims of arson. We pray that hearts of stone and hatred would be changed by your unfailing, color-blind love. May your church be leading the charge of changed hearts. Amen.

5. The Feast of Mary and Martha of Bethany, July 29 — This church feast day celebrates the story of Mary and Martha offering hospitality to Jesus as He was visiting and teaching at their home. We can cull many lessons from this vignette of Jesus’ life. First of all, we can see the importance of offering hospitality and sharing our home with others, just as Mary and Martha did. Perhaps even more, we see the importance of priorities and how we spend our time as we study Jesus’ words to the worried Martha.

Resources:

She Sat by Mary Kane

Mary and Martha at Lectionary.com

Verses: Now as Jesus and his disciples went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 NIV

Prayer: Jesus, we ask for the trait of hospitality that Mary and Martha demonstrated. Help us to freely share our homes and resources as they did. And we pray for the focus that Mary had on what is important — You. May we set our eyes on You as she did; align our priorities with Yours. Amen.

Thank you for praying with us this month, and be sure to add other requests in the comment section.

Pray on!

The word labyrinth often evokes images of maze-like winding paths with dead-end passages designed to confuse. The spiritual practice of a labyrinth prayer walk, however, has an outcome that is quite different. Rather than being confusing, many find clarity and direction as they pray their way through the paths.

What Is a Labyrinth Prayer Walk?

It is an active spiritual practice of walking prayer done through the paths of a labyrinth. Unlike a maze, a prayer labyrinth is one orderly path that winds around and leads to a center point. You then follow the

same path back out. There are no dead-ends or tricks to it.

In his book The Sacred Way, Tony Jones states that these paths have been around since at least 1200 B.C.and that Christians began using them in the early centuries following Christ’s resurrection. One of the most famous that still exists today was built between 1194 and 1220 A.D. at Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France.

Fortunately for us, many other countries now have prayer labyrinths open to the public, so hopefully you won’t have to travel too far to try out this incredible method of prayer — although I would love to visit a few ancient labyrinths. Use this WorldWide Labyrinth Locator by Veriditas to find one close to you. I was very excited to find several fairly close to my home.

How-To: Labyrinth Prayers

While some of the ancient labyrinths have survived, no literature did as to how early Christians used them. So, the following suggestions are all based on more recent use of them. Ultimately, there is no one “right way” to offer labyrinth prayers; you can pray through the paths as you desire. There are, however, suggestions to try, all of which can enrich your prayer life and draw you closer to God. These are also from Jones’ book.

1. As you are beginning the labyrinth, ask God a question and then listen for the answer as you are praying.
2. Pray for yourself on the way in. When you reach the center, stop for a while and just soak up God’s love. On the way out, pray for others.
3. Recite scripture or the Lord’s Prayer as you walk the path.
4. As you walk toward the center, let go of distractions and worries that keep your focus off of God. In the center be aware of God’s presence and reflect on your relationship with Him. As you leave, praise and thank God for all He has done, naming specific things. Be aware of taking Jesus back with you into the ordinary places of life.
5. And here is my recent experience while walking the prayer labyrinth at the Fatima Retreat Center in Indianapolis. I entered the path with the specific purpose of praying for the junior high retreat my
   son-in-law was helping lead as the worship pastor. *I picked up several stones to take with me. As I slowly walked the path, I asked the Holy Spirit to show me how to pray. As I received a new item to pray for, I stopped and placed a stone on the path where I was. When I was finished with the labyrinth, I looked and saw the stones as reminders of the three things I had been given to pray about. I then wrote them down so I could continue to pray specifically throughout the week.

*When outdoors, people often like to choose a small stone and leave it at the center of the labyrinth; others will carry it out with them as they leave as a reminder of their time with God.

I encourage you to try this beautiful, peaceful practice. Don’t worry about the how-to so much as just focusing on the presence of God. As long as you show up, He will too!

Have you ever done a labyrinth prayer walk? Feel free to share your experience in the comments.

Pray on!

 

May brings blooming flowers and warmer temperatures as we shake off the remnants of winter’s cold and embrace new life. As you’re busy with spring cleaning, wrapping up the school year, and landscaping chores, remember to spend a few minutes each day with Only By Prayer praying for some of the following concerns.

1. National Day of Prayer, May 7 — This year is the 64^th annual National Day of Prayer. The theme for 2015 is Lord, Hear Our Cry. The emphasis is that people place their faith in the unfailing character of our Creator, who is sovereign over all. The scripture for this year is “Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day,” from 1 Kings 8:28. Let’s pray for our nation, our leaders, and our people that we will depend upon the Lord. We are facing challenges on every front: politically, morally, spiritually, and economically. We also see looming threats to our national security. With so much to pray about, we need to remember to intercede for our nation as often as possible. I’ve included resources below so that you can check to see what community events may be scheduled in your area.

Resources:

• Prayer Guides and curriculum 
• Post or Find an event
• National Prayer

Verse: “Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.” 1 Kings 8:28 NIV

Prayer: Lord, we intercede for our nation. We confess our sins of idolatry, abortion, pride, greed, perversions, jealousy, and hatred. We ask for your forgiveness. We pray that our nation will turn to you. We pray for your intervention in our lives. Please work as only You can to restore the moral fabric of our families,communities, states, and country. We ask for your hedge of protection around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

2. Mother’s Day, May 10 — Some of us have mothers who are still with us and others of us do not. Perhaps we had/have a wonderful relationship with them, and maybe we didn’t/don’t. Whether your mother is currently living or has passed away, you can probably think of a woman who has been a stand-in mom to you and has encouraged you in your life in some way. Today is the day set aside to honor her. Let’s think of a way to connect with our moms today. For those who live far away, perhaps it’s a long phone call to chat and catch up. A handwritten card detailing what you love about her will touch any mother’s heart. When my children were little and we lived in the area, we arranged a Mother’s Day picnic at the local park for all the moms in our family. Need some more ideas? Here’s some resources for you.

Resources:

• Mother’s Day Ideas
• Mom’s Fill in the Blank Questionnaire

Verse: “Honor your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12 NIV

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for our mothers. Even if the relationship is contentious, we acknowledge that they have given us the gift of life. We ask Your blessing upon our mothers. We pray for health and spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical healing where needed. May our relationships with them be strong and loving. As mothers, help us to be an example of Your love to our children. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

3. Pentecost, May 24 — Pentecost means “fiftieth day” (after Passover), and it is the day that the Holy Spirit came in tongues of fire and filled the believers. Acts chapter 2 tells of this powerful story. It is pivotal to our faith, because from that point on and to this day, the Holy Spirit is the one who equips us, teaches us, and transforms us into Christ’s likeness. Jesus could not be everywhere at the same time while He was on earth, but after The Resurrection, He sent the Holy Spirit who lives in each believer. What an amazing reality this is! We can ask ourselves if we are creating a welcoming home for the Spirit to reside in, or if we might be grieving Him through our behavior. Check out the resources below to delve further into this topic.

Resources:

• Take 5, By My Spirit by Mary Kane
• Pentecost

Verse: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Prayer: Lord, we thank you that you have thought of everything to help your children to lead victorious lives. Help us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and equipped to live each day, not in our own power, but in yours. Help us to listen to His conviction and leading, confessing sin when we are at fault and following his prompting in other areas of our lives. Amen.

4. Memorial Day, May 25 — Memorial Day is the day set aside to honor those who died while in active military service. When I was a child, every year we celebrated Memorial Day two ways. First of all, we walked to our local cemetery where a service was held to honor the people from our city who died while in the military. It was a dignified ceremony, and even as a child, I felt the importance of remembering those who were no longer with us. Following that, we then attended the Memorial Day parade that went through the center of our little town. My sisters and I loved this parade and even participated in it as we got older through the Girl Scouts or as members of the marching band. Perhaps you do something similar. Here’s a few other ideas to celebrate this day:

Resources:

• 10 Memorial Day Celebrations That Are More Important …

Verse: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Prayer: Lord, help us to never take for granted those who have given their lives while serving our country, and therefore us. May we live our lives with intention, honor, and purpose in memory of those who sacrificed everything so that we can have such a precious freedom. May we teach these truths to our children and instill in them a spirit of gratitude for this country you have blessed us with. Amen.

  5. Supreme Court Justices — Not nearly often enough do I stop to pray for these nine men and women who make such critical decisions concerning our nation. They decide cases they affect the very fabric of our lives and set the tone for the direction of our country. As you are reading this, one of the main issues that is being decided is the issue of gay marriage. A ruling is expected sometime during June of 2015.

Resources:

• The Supreme Court Justices
• Gay Marriage Debate

Verse: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 NIV

Prayer: Lord, we pray for wisdom for these men and women whose decisions reach far into our lives and set the tone of our nation. We ask that they would each have a heart for you and your concerns. We pray for discernment and clear thinking as they puzzle through issues and ask questions. Please guard their hearts and minds. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thank you for praying with us today. Please feel free to share any of your prayers below in the comment section.

Pray on!

A special thank you to Amber Miller from Live and Laugh Loud for the use of her tulip photo.

December is filled with Christmas cheer, peace on earth, and good will to men. That’s what our Christmas carols tell us, and that is what we can always hope for. Jesus came to earth to be those things, and when He returns, they will all be fully realized. Beyond hoping, let’s put some prayer power to work in our world, as we see things in life that often seem contradictory to what we are singing about. Keep reading for five ways you can focus your prayers this month.

1. Advent.  November 30 – December 24, 2014. Instead of being swept away by the tidal wave of decorating, shopping, baking, and wrapping beginning on December 1,  let’s take the time to first prepare our hearts for Christmas. That is the whole purpose of Advent. You may not realize it, but according to the Christian calendar, the Christmas season doesn’t even begin until December 25, and it lasts through the Epiphany on January 6. The days in December prior to that are considered to be the season of Advent. While I enjoy all the Christmas activity, I’ve found that when I focus on the meaning behind the rush of what I’m doing, it makes this month a special, holy time.

Jesus’ birth is not just an event in history but it gives meaning and purpose to each of our lives today. The following resource may help you focus on Advent this year:

Resources:

Advent Podcast 

In Reverence gorgeous music by David Tolk combined with stunning seasonal Christian art of J. Kirk Richards. This alone will put you in a worshipful frame of mind.

Verse: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Prayer: Lord, we ask that You quiet our hearts amidst the busyness of this month. May we hear Your call to each one of us to slow down and make room in our hearts for You. May we feel the longing and expectation of waiting for the answer to years of prayers from those who lived thousands of years before us. And may we echo their prayers, O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Amen.

2. World AIDS Day. December 1, 2014. The first case of Aids was reported in the United States in June 1981. According to the CDC, today there are more than 1,000,000 people in the Unites States living with HIV infection. The devastation from AIDS is particularly felt in Africa. According to AVERT,  in 2009, there were almost 15,000,000 orphans in sub-Sahara Africa due to AIDS . This is where I would like to focus our prayers today. In Africa, children are raising children because there are simply no adults left in families.

Resource:

Samaritan’s Purse Orphans’ Care

Verse: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

Prayer: Lord, our hearts ache for the children who have been left as orphans because of AIDS. We ask for protection and help for them. May the church rise up to care for these young ones who are struggling on their own to care for themselves and younger siblings. May they be comforted and loved and may all their needs be supplied. Amen.

3. Ferguson, Missouri. News stories abound about Ferguson, Missouri, and the Michael Brown case. This occurrence has only served to prove how racially divided America still is. There are many ways to pray for this concern. We can pray for comfort and healing for Michael Brown’s family. We can pray for Darren Wilson and his family. We can pray that the protestors will stop destroying property. We can pray for the business owners whose livlihood has been threatened because of the destruction and looting. We can pray for the truth to be told and accepted. We can pray for healing between different races. We can pray for any racism to be exposed and eradicated. We can pray for the protection of police officers who put their lives on the line every day. We can pray for good relationships between officers and the communities they serve.

Resource:

Here is one way to help: http://www.gofundme.com/queensroyaltouch

And here is a wonderful feel-good story from Ferguson: http://www.gofundme.com/nataliescakesnmore

Verse: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” Amos 5: 24

Prayer: Lord, the needs and hurts run deep here. We pray for the Holy Spirit to hover above Ferguson and cover the city with your peace and protection. We pray for justice to be served. We ask for your healing balm upon Michael’s family. We pray for Officer Wilson and his family. We pray that looting, violence, and destruction will stop and that lasting change will begin. We pray for understanding and grace between different races and that You will heal the ugly wound of racism in our land. Amen.

4. Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Sunday, December 7, 2014. On this day we remember those who were injured or lost their lives on the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii during World War II. I’d like to use this opportunity to reflect upon the sacrifice that so many soldiers gave so that we could continue to live in freedom. It’s not often enough that we think about the men and women who were never able to pursue their future plans. And it’s not often enough that we think about those families who were forever changed because of the loss of their loved one(s). Let’s pray for healing of all kinds.

Resources:

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor

WWII Enemies Find Forgiveness, Friendship 

Verse: “And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.“ Colossians 2:20-22

Prayer: Lord, today we stop to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives so that others could live in freedom. May we never take this for granted. We pray for the families of these men and women that have been inalterabley changed because of their loss. Where there is lingering animosity, we pray for peace and reconciliation. We ask that those who are existing in bitterness would be set free. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

5. Christmas. Christmas Day will be here sooner than we realize and hopefully our hearts will be ready with our Advent preparation. May we recapture the miracle of what our Savior’s birth actually means. Help us to see it, hear it, smell it, and feel it the way the shepherds and wise men did at their first look at the baby Jesus.

Resource:

Silent night video done by Mary’s son and his band:

Christmas and Advent Roundup

Scripture: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

Prayer: We thank you and praise you, God, for the magnificent gift of your Son, our Savior Jesus. He is the one gift who is never the wrong size. He won’t break, wear out, or fall out of style. Our hearts our full today with His gift. Help us to remember that He is one gift who is meant to be shared. Amen.

Thank you for praying with us through the month of December. Please leave any of your prayers, thoughts, or comments below.

Pray on!

Merry Christmas!

photo credit: maf04 via photopin cc

The best gifts that people can give are those that involve some type of sacrifice — of time, money, or creativity. While you may have never thought of it like this before, prayer is a gift to others and like any gift, it extracts something from the giver.

Those who regularly intercede are constantly standing in the gap between man and God, holding up people, events, and circumstances to His notice. It’s exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time.

Pulse of the Prayer Team

At a recent prayer meeting, my pastor did something a bit unusual. He took the pulse of the prayer team to see what kind of shape the pray-ers were in. We split into small groups and honestly shared what was on our hearts. Many of us were feeling beat up. It was a comfort to admit it and realize we weren’t alone. Right or wrong, some of our struggles revolved around these issues:

1. Low-grade fever. One intercessor said he felt like he had a constant fever of needs going on in his spirit. Not enough to sideline him, but enough to wear on him. Similarly, a woman said she felt like the petitions were hovering around her like a cloud all day.
2. Guilt. Some intercessors were dealing with guilt because they felt inadequate to meet the heavy needs that were presented to them.
3. Spiritually drained. Some people admitted to being drained. Frequent intercession had extracted a toll on them that they weren’t recovering from.
4. Overwhelmed. A few confessed to feeling overwhelmed by a prayer list that had grown to huge proportions.

Sharing these struggles with each other exposed the wounds to God so that he could start the healing process. It was clear that we pray-ers needed some TLC ourselves.

Soul Care for Intercessors

Some guidelines to soul care for intercessors emerged from our meeting:

1. Intercessors need a time of rest and retreat to recharge spirits and souls. When possible, periodically attend a weekend or daylong retreat for some TLC.
2. Pray for intercessors. We were so busy praying for others, that we were neglecting to pray for those who were interceding. Remembering to cover each other in prayer can supply a needed boost to a battle-weary pray-er.
3. Periodically debrief with other intercessors. Sharing each other’s burdens can be a help. This is not meant to be a gripe session but a place to air any concerns or stress you may be carrying.
4. Pray with a partner. For protection, when possible intercessors should pray deliverance type prayers over others in the safety of a small group of other pray-ers.
5. The most important point to remember is that prayer time needs to be built on the strong foundation of personal time spent with God. We can’t be effective intercessors if we aren’t grafted on to the vine. In John 15:4 Jesus says “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

Several times a week, I have added quiet listening to my devotional time with God, and I journal what God brings to my mind. It keeps me connected to Him and opens me up to His plans. No matter how long your prayer list may be, don’t neglect sitting at Jesus’ feet. That takes priority over prayer requests and actually feeds into the ability to be directed by the Holy Spirit in knowing how to pray and which requests to pray for. You do not have to pray for every request every single day. Let God direct to what is most important for that day.

 Overall, remember that God is calling you to Him first and to pray for others second.

5 Tips for Intercessors

 At the end of our prayer meeting, some common helpful tips emerged.

1. We are standing on holy ground. Offering ministering prayer or intercessory prayer for others is a privilege, and we are treading on holy ground by letting the Lord use us to bring his healing and comfort to others. We are ushering the person into His presence.
2. God knows even more than the “prayee” about the situation. Sometimes the people we’re praying for have a hard time articulating their need. God knows what is going on, and we can pray in confidence that He understands, even when we don’t.
3. The Holy Spirit is interceding with us. We’re not by ourselves in this prayer venture. Romans 8:26 tells us that “The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
4. Praying for others can give us a “prayer shot.” Although this doesn’t always happen, sometimes God lets us see comfort or healing delivered and received. How wonderful!
5. Remember, the results are not up to us. We need to take the pressure off of ourselves. God promises us that He is working. How he does this is up to Him. Our calling is to pray.

Taking the time to care for yourself and other intercessors will strengthen you and fill your prayer tank back up, allowing you to continue to bless others with the powerful gift of intercession.

Pray on!