I try to be really careful if I tell someone, "I'll be praying for you," because unfortunately I feel like all too often that is a cliche or a cop-out and never really happens. And then it's just a lie, despite the good intentions lining it.
The thing is that I really do want to pray for people who I know are hurting or having a hard time or just trying to figure something out. But the "Lord, please be with so-and-so as she tries to figure out such-and-such" gets a little staid after awhile. I know God hears my prayers and appreciates them, but couldn't there be more to it than that kind of limp prayer?
So the conclusion I came to the other day regarding this is pretty easy. What I've decided is to find one Bible verse to pray for each person/situation on my intercessory prayer list. I will pray that verse specifically for that person. Sure I can pray more if I want to, but this makes praying for other people manageable and helps me know what to say for them that I know aligns with God's Word.
For instance, there is a high school girl that I'm close to who I will be praying Ephesians 3:17 for: "I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in her heart as she trusts in you. May her roots go down dep into the soil of your marvelous love." (That is my personalized version of that verse, substituting "her" for when Paul is speaking to the reader, etc.). For my friends who are trying to sell their house, I pray that "...your blessing be on the home of the upright." (Proverbs 3:33)
I am the first to admit that prayer isn't always as easy as it seems like it should be, so that's why I think it's good to have these kinds of "techniques" in place to help guide our hearts when we don't really feel like it. Do you have any other suggestions or any prayer requests? I'm happy to add you to my list and pick out a verse just for you! Grace and peace!
A squirrel in your wall!?!?! Well, there are worse things in life. You could have a hippo in your chimney, I suppose. :) Glad you have found a church and seem to be getting more settled. I think the blog is a GREAT GREAT GREAT idea and have been considering "getting" one of my own... haha....or at least one that seems better suited for my needs. :) Keep writing- I miss you! H.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea, Carmen! I love the idea of picking out scripture to pray for someone. There's a lot of power in praying scripture. And you're right, sometimes it's hard to find the words on our own. I look forward to reading all of your future posts! It's great to have you back in the blog world! :)
ReplyDeleteAh, thank you lovely ladies!!
ReplyDeleteHolly: I absolutely think you ought to get one of your own. The world wide webular needs more of you!!
Katie: Yay! And I look forward to even more posts from you, too!!