Supplication

5/3/2020

Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.”

My sisters are both very faithful prayer warriors. I know I can always turn to them and ask for prayer in specific circumstances. I also know they hold me and my family up in prayer every day. It is wonderful to know there are people praying for you.

My one sister has joked with me recently that her prayers seem to be answered in a way that she would never expect; through unfortunate or unusual situations and events. When I ask for prayer now, sometimes she says, “Are you sure you want me to pray knowing what happened last time?”

Chambers says, “As we go on in intercession we may find that our obedience to God is going to cost other people more than we thought.” I think this is what happens with my sister. She faithfully prays for others, but then God answers those prayers in a way that was not expected. All people are on their own journeys, and we cannot possibly know the path God is bringing them down. Our job is to be faithful in prayer and trust God for the outcome, even if we may not understand it.

My sister and I also talk a lot about not praying for ourselves because we are concentrating on intercessory prayer, especially during this time of the Coronavirus pandemic. We have healthcare workers and first responders in our families, and we both know how critical it is to pray for them and all the essential workers (of which she is one) now more than ever. Chambers says, “Intercession leaves you neither time nor inclination to pray for your own ‘sad sweet self.’ The thought of yourself is not kept out, because it is not there to keep out; you are completely and entirely identified with God’s interests in other’s lives.” I do not think there has been a time in recent history that this has been more true; for we are, all of us, in the same boat, and we all need to be lifting one another up to our Almighty God in prayer. He will work out the rest.