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Listen while you read: "Give Me That Old Time Religion"1
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Philippians 1:3-4 – I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.
Paul reminds us in these verses that we have a responsibility to each other to be lifting each other up in prayer. I have heard it said that the most we can do for someone is to pray for them and the least we can do for someone is pray for them.
Have you ever had the experience of someone coming to you and telling you that they were praying for you? I have, and it is hard for me to put in words how that made me feel. The first time someone told me that they would be praying for me, it was an older lady in my church who I barely knew, except for her name. She had heard that I had had a miscarriage. I don't know if she knew that I was having a very difficult time in adjusting to our loss; it was enough for me to know that she would be praying for me.
Then many years and two children later, we were gifted with a son who has special needs. Again, another older lady from our church, a different lady, came and told me she would be praying for Andrew. Occasionally, she would come and ask me for an update on Andrew and then she would continue her praying.
It was from those two experiences in my own life that I learned what a gift it was to know that someone was lifting me and my family up in their prayers. Since that time, I have made a point of reaching out to others and letting them know that I am praying for them.
Sometimes, we find ourselves in situations where we want to help someone but we just don't know what to do. Don't underestimate the gift of prayer! It is true that the most we can do for our sisters and brothers is to pray for them and it is also the least we can do for them.
Prayer: Thank you for your gift of prayer, Lord. Help us to see the needs of those around us and help us to support them through our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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About the author:
Ruth McCowan <rbmccowan@shaw.ca>
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Hello Ruth
Thank you for your message about praying for people, 1998.
It is comforting to know someone is doing that for us and rewarding for us to see prayers answered!
Blessings.
As always … perfect timing. I’m one of those ‘older ladies’ now and unable to do anything … but PRAY. I think after reading your testimony I shall step up my pray list and my prayer time. Thank you for this; it’s so easy to imagine/ get the impression that you’re not really doing much, but in fact, ‘prayer is the heart’s sincere desire’ – AND – God honours it! So I shall pray more. God bless.