Good morning Zebras,
God taught me a
lot about prayer last year.
First it is
possible to carry another person’s burdens.
My elbow had
been hurting for almost a year, the doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong
with it. But when Gary prayed for it to
be healed, God gave the burden to him, now my elbow is fine and his hurts.
Second, prayer
for people you do not know makes you love them with the love of God.
My neighbors
went on vacation and I felt compelled to pray for them while they were gone. I didn’t really know them that well, but after
a week of concentrated prayer God give me a great love for them. I still don’t know them that well, but I sure
do love them.
Third, we don’t
know who can hear God. He can talk to
anyone.
The neighbors I
was praying for are not saved, so I wasn’t sure they would be able to hear my
prayers, it is a long story, but I felt I was supposed to pray they would bring
me back a bear. When they got home they
didn’t give me anything, but a week later one of them gave me the bear pictured
below. They had bought it on vacation
but had forgotten to give it to me.
Fourth, burdens
given to you by God are different than normal prayers.
When the fires
were raging in Napa/Sonoma I was burdened to pray for God’s people like the
world was ending because that’s how it felt.
If God didn’t stay his hand and stop the wind it “felt” like the fire
was going to consume the world. It was
not a pleasant feeling, in fact it was rather awful, but I had no choice but to
pray, because the burden consumed my life.
Fifth, you do
not have to limit your prayers to only your circle of acquaintances.
If I am praying
for someone to get a job, I could just as easily pray for all of God’s people to
get a job. The Bible says to pray for all the saints, not just the ones you
know.
And finally,
God has taught me that prayer is powerful and effective and too little used to
combat the evil that's ruling the world.
The real work of God’s people is prayer.
When the
disciples asked why they were so ineffective in driving out an evil demon,
Jesus replied, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Some manuscripts add fasting. (Mark 9:29)
So, with all
that knowledge I’m heading to South Korea for a week of fasting and prayer with
my daughter who lives there. I think I
need to get closer to the situation, just like with the fires. I was never endangered from the Napa fires,
but I was consumed by prayer because the fire was real. I could see its effects. Yet I wasn’t burdened in the same way, when
the southern part of the state burned. There’s
something about proximity that adds urgency.
I will arrive
in Korea on the 8th and God willing I will return on the 14th
because I believe God wants me to get closer to the threat and to physically
combine my prayers with Katherine’s, who loves Korea and the Korean people with
a love given to her by God.
If you feel
prompted to join me in prayer for God’s world and His people, please do.
With much love,
Jill
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