Sacred Talk
I want to be better at…
I’m sure if I made a list of things I could be better at, it would be a pretty long list. But there was definitely one thing I knew I needed to be better at a few years ago.
Prayer.
Do you pray? Why do we pray? When someone asks you to pray for them do you?
Before I was a Christian, I thought prayer was speaking your wishes out loud. I didn’t really think it carried much weight, and if someone asked me to pray for them, I’m not sure I did the best job.
When I started attending a regular group (or maybe what you would call a Bible Study) the topic of prayer came up and my sweet friend, we’ll call her Ruth, shared how she prays.
In Ruth’s Bible, she keeps a folded sheet of paper that she writes initials/prayer requests on, and before she reads every morning she prays over those names.
So why should would pray? There are many reasons, the Bible tells us to, and Jesus modeled it, but ultimately, we pray because we love God and we love God’s people (all people – yes, even the ones you don’t feel like praying for).
There are over three hundred and fifty verses in the Bible about prayer. Here are some of my favorites:
Romans 12:12: Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:17: Pray continually,
James 5:16: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Matthew 5:44: But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
1 Timothy 2: 1-2: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
I loved how Ruth was so intentional on the way she prayed for people and I wondered if I could do the same.
Below are four downloadable bookmarks. On the front is a scripture and on the back, you write your prayers.
I hope you will join me in praying for our friends, family, country, leaders, those who are hurting, and those who need hope.