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Wow, summer is here! Things have wrapped up for virtually all schools in the area. Teachers and students are heading into their summer break. It’s been a crazy end to the school year, but it usually is.
Part of my craziness I put on myself, but I am so glad the Lord has allowed me to add this to my life. I have prayed that the Lord continues to let me use the talent He has given me to impact His kingdom. Of course the Lord blesses all of us with different gifts and talents, but I was specifically asking Him about using my writing skill.
Within a matter of hours, I received two separate requests to write things for my church. I couldn’t believe it. The fact that He gave me this opportunity was amazing. It was a crazy time of year so I just asked God for His help. I knew He had placed this in my lap, and I knew He would make a way, and He did.
Both projects were completed on time, and I was able to accomplish everything else as well. Simply put, God is good all the time! All the time, God is good. However that’s not really what this blog is about. It could be. It could be about how He is faithful. How He does exactly what He has promised. Oh wait, that is what this blog is about. But not in the way you are thinking.
One thing I was doing for my church was writing a book study. Simply put, it’s a resource for small groups or the individual to read a book and have guided questions to go along with each chapter. The book that I was working on is entitled How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People by Pete Greig.
Grieg, according to his website, has written nine books, and is the founder of 24-7 Prayer and the co-host of the daily devotional Lectio 365. As I worked through this book designing the study, there were several things that jumped out to me and I’d recommend the read. However, in the chapter on intercession, the Lord just really spoke to me.
One technique that Grieg mentions is to get inspired and engage with God’s word. Of course this was nothing new. I have heard that many, many times in my Christian life. However, this was a bit different because he was specifically talking about intercession. Even more directly, praying God’s promises for the people we pray for daily.
This was a new concept for me. I pray for others every day. Obviously as a husband and father, I pray for Pam, Darby, Jack, and Cam every morning, as well as others. But this was different. This was not the vague “be with them throughout their day” prayer. It was focused. It is what God had in His word, not just my words, which often are inadequate.
A direct line from this part of the book sums it up perfectly. “By identifying relevant promises in God’s Word and focusing them on a particular person, place, or situation, you can be sure that you are interceding for them in line with God’s purpose and therefore in the name of Jesus.”
This doesn’t have to consume your prayer life, but it is a way to focus what you’re really asking God for with those in your life. Then as I pray for Pam it isn’t just, “Lord, help her deal with all the stuff she has going on.” Instead it becomes, “Lord, please let Pam not worry about anything; instead pray for everything. Help her to tell You everything she needs and to thank You for what You have done. So she will experience Your peace, which exceeds anything she can understand. Allow Your peace to guard her heart and mind as she lives in You.”
That is so much more powerful, and Jesus actually modeled this as He often prayed the Word while He was here on Earth. This is just not something I really have thought about in my own prayers of intercession. This isn’t magic. I am not going to pray for Jack that God gives him wisdom generously and “poof” he becomes a genius. Everything is God’s will and on God’s time. That understanding helps our intercessory prayers be in line with Him.
Of course there are some dangers for us as human beings when praying in this manner.
We have to remember that God is Lord of the universe, not the genie from Aladdin. His promises are not little treasures that you can wish and that wish just comes true. Whenever we pray, it always comes back to your heart. God knows your heart. Wishes usually come from a selfish place within us. They are our desires, not God’s. Stay in line with what God wants, not what you want.
Another thing that Pam and I spent some time discussing is how can we know if a promise God made was really for us, or rather, for a specific person or group of people at a certain time, and we are just trying to claim it as our own. I dug in and did a bit of research and found an article from The Gospel Coalition website written by Jen Wilken, Which Promises Are for Me? This is a great article and makes so much sense in clearing up not only what promises are for you, but also other things like the “if factor.”
This is something the Lord has laid on my heart, and I think we all could benefit from at least considering it. I know that I have identified several promises that I want to pray for my wife, Darby, Jack, and Cam, my son-in-law. It is something I will be instituting into my prayer life as we move forward in these summer months. I hope you will consider joining me. Until next time…
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