There's A Shift Happening!

I wonder, often, how much is changing in and around us because of our consistent, faithful, heart-felt prayers?

I often look at my own life and the abundant blessings I have been able to enjoy in my lifetime and wonder… “Who do I owe my gratitude for the prayers they prayed for me all these years?”

And I would think long and hard about it on a Tuesday morning in my office.  And the Holy Spirit would prompt me to write it in my prayer journal.  Yes… and right next to the name of the one who has been on my prayer list for several months now.  The one who caused pain and heartache.  The one in whom it was discovered was speaking harsh words about myself and my family.  The one who’s lies had stirred within me an immediate need for retaliation, all the while knowing it wasn’t right.

And all those months ago He would ask me to do something.  An experiment of sorts.  “Pray for her every day.  Commit to replacing pain with prayer and then see what I can do.”

Challenge accepted.

And in all honesty, I can’t recall a day I’ve not prayed for her.
And it’s not because I have it all together.
But mainly because I don’t.
And I need… desperately… to be changed.
And if He chooses to grow by clippers and chisel, then I am ready.

And I would begin the praying by “feeling.” 
And because I didn’t feel “gratefulness”, my prayers often lacked girth.  Because in the beginning I lacked “deliberateness”, my prayers often suffered depth.  Instead of seeing with intention the opportunity to change my condition… and moreover hers… I was deficient in power and authority.

But I was determined.
And I was consistent.
And in the coming months would begin to see a radical difference in the way I was praying.  The words I was using.  The sincerity He empowered me with surprised me.  And although it was slight in progress, over time it altered entirely.

My prayers that began with “feeling” now were fueled with “purpose.”
Because the world doesn’t change unless we’re willing to change first.
Us.. the Jesus people.  The one’s who know the One who has the great power AND willingness to change everything!

And slowly over time I began realizing that the intentionality of my prayers were changing.  And in doing so, they were not only changing me, but it’s as if I could actually feel a shift happening right before my eyes.

When we pray for the very ones we may be tempted to call “evil”… for the very people we consider enemies… and for the ones we find most fault with… we suddenly ignite a godly influence into the atmosphere.  We release a regenerating grace into the environment by inviting God to move, like only He can, in the lives of those around us.

By our consistent and committed petitions, we offer those we are praying for the gift of Jesus they may not otherwise receive if it wasn’t for us.  By the words offered to heaven on behalf of other people… and I believe especially concerning the ones we find most difficult to speak about, let alone petition for… we create a miracle-working climate where they now have access to God-size values.

I always say - no one who speaks ill of myself or my family stands a chance of NOT being prayed for.  In fact, you just secured yourself a spot on my prayer list.  And you will remain there until I am changed… until you are changed… or both!

The sticky note I would keep in my prayer journal would be this:
“Maybe I’m not seeing FULL answers to prayers (YET!)… but trust and believe that there’s a SHIFT taking place because of my daily sacrifice of prayer!”

We serve such a BIG God, friends!