The Power of Prayer: Why Pray?
Pray for your friends and family. That might seem obvious at first glance, “pray for your friends and family.” Of course that’s a good thing to do. That’s what I knew, but up until a year ago, I honestly didn’t take the time to intentionally pray for the people in my life that mattered most.
Sure, it was a nice thought, and one I agreed with “pray for your friends and family,” but it wasn’t something I actually spent time doing. It was more of a passing thought. A “sure, that would be good, when I get around to it.” And I never consistently got around to it.
“I’ll pray later.” And later never came. Because I never made the effort or carved out the time to actually do it.
Until last fall 2020. God transformed my prayer life! And in the process, my relationship with Him.
What I share with you today, is my journey through prayer and the absolute transforming power it has had in my life, my friendships, and my relationships.
When you are finished reading this, I hope you are encouraged to pray for and with your loved ones that God has graciously put in your life. If you already pray for and with your friends and family routinely, wonderful! Maybe you’ll find additional encouragement here. If you are like me a year ago, and a prayer life is not consistent – I was right where you are. But may you be encouraged to start.
Praying For Your Loved Ones
In the fall of 2020 I met a group of women at a retreat. They have since become wonderful faith friends of mine that I wouldn’t trade for anything. One of the biggest things this group of women has showed me is the power of praying for each other. And the power of praying together out loud.
I’ll be honest, at first it was uncomfortable to pray out loud. I believed the lie that told me I had to say the right thing, which is completely untrue. Inwardly, I was worried what they might think. But I think that is one of the biggest lies that we can get trapped in, especially when it comes to praying with our friends and family – worrying about what they will think. If you are worried about what they will think, that’s a lie that can keep you from praying for the very people God has placed around you.
And it all changed with a prompting that stripped away that lie, and replaced it with God’s Truth in this area of my life. I am certain this was the Holy Spirit’s prompting; it came at a time when I needed it most. It was this thought: “who are you to be worried about praying to the Lord Almighty, the Creator of all things.”
Who are you to be worried about praying to the Lord Almighty, the Creator of all things.
We are told in Scripture to seek Him, to come and pray to Him, and repeatedly to ask. Ask Him. Ask Him, we are told over and over.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you. John 15:16
And again in John 16 “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24
We’re told in Jeremiah and this is one of my favorite verses: “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29: 12-13.
What I am not saying is that when you ask Him, He’ll do it or answer just how or when you want. It’s important to make that distinction. Your Heavenly Father works in all and through all things for His glory. He always hears you. And in His perfect timing He will answer. I will share in an upcoming post about His perfect timing in answered prayer.
I want to encourage you – if it feels uncomfortable at first, know it might! And don’t let that stop you. Especially if praying with others is something new for you. It was new and uncomfortable for me at first. But don’t let the initial uncomfortableness discourage you. We are called to pray. Let that truth of God’s Word bring you comfort as you start your prayer journey with your friends and family.
What Might Stop You From Praying With Your Friends and Family
I think it’s important to touch on this first. If you have no fear whatsoever in praying with others, then maybe this section won’t apply to you. But if you do at all, like I did, I hope this will encourage you. And let you know you’re not alone in it.
There are two things that would stop me and hinder me from 1) Praying with others and 2) Asking for prayer when I needed it.
Pray For Others: And Don't Worry About Feeling Uncomfortable
First, praying for others. The stop here, and this may be for many people, was caving to the uncomfortable feeling. You might feel uncomfortable. But underneath that feeling, there is probably a lie you are believing without even realizing it.
Here was my situation: I felt uncomfortable at first when praying with others out loud. I didn’t think it was “normal” to pray out loud together and I didn’t want to feel uncomfortable.
But what was underneath that, was this fear and lie. I know it now. The lie that if I said the wrong thing, whoever I was with would think less of me. I cared more what “they” think, than the One I was praying to! And that is a lie. That I could somehow say the wrong thing, and what they think about it actually matters. It doesn’t. You are praying to the Lord Almighty. The Creator and Author of your life. There is no fear to be had when you realize He always hears you and tells us repeatedly in His Word to come and ask Him.
So when you reject the lie that tells you to worry about what others will think, there is absolute freedom.
Ask For Prayer From Others: Don't Be Afraid to Ask
Secondly, not asking for prayer when you need it. That again, was rooted in this lie, that if I am vulnerable enough to ask for whatever it is I need prayer for, that “they” would think less of me. And there’s that lie again. That what they think can actually make me “less”. Because it can’t. You don’t need to look any further than John 15:16 where Jesus tells you and I ” I chose you.” “You did not choose me, but I chose you.”
Don’t be afraid to ask for prayer! One of my favorite examples of this was last fall 2020 at the retreat I briefly mentioned in the beginning of this post. It was Saturday of the retreat and my back pain was awful that day. I live with chronic back pain from an auto accident. But that particular day, my pain was bad and part of me wanted to go home and leave the retreat early. I could go home, I thought, and see my husband. Home is comfortable.
Three of the women I was with, I was honest with them about wanting to leave early, and they offered to stop right there and pray over me. Now, honestly, it felt uncomfortable in that moment. Who does that I thought? Just stops and prays together out loud? I sure didn’t at that point. But oh my goodness I am glad they did! It was a turning point I absolutely needed.
A turning point in realizing the transforming power of praying with and for your friends and family. It was a turning point in my relationship with our Heavenly Father. And a turning point in my own prayer life going forward.
Strengthening Relationships Through Prayer
What happened after they prayed for me was nothing short of a little mini miracle. They had prayed over me, praying to the One who is in all, and through all, and holds our entire being in His hands. When you pray, you are in God’s presence, and His presence is where lasting transformation starts to happen.
When they finished praying for me, I had this peace that I cannot explain to you. The worry of my back pain, the worry of wanting to leave and go see my husband, was completely lifted. I didn’t have to wish it away, or try to block that out, it was miracuously lifted.
Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable with your friends and family. Ask for prayer when you need it. I promise you, the God who loves you more than you can possibly fathom, will cover you with His presence and peace.
The Benefits of Praying for Others
We can’t talk about the power of praying for your friends and family without touching on the importance of praying for your loved ones when you are prompted to do so.
How do you know if you’re prompted to pray for others? Do they come to your mind randomly or when you are praying for something else? Pray for them. You don’t even need to know the specifics in that moment. Pray for them. God already knows.
To illustrate this, I recently had Covid and have a history of blood clots (deep vein thrombosis) in my right leg. Before I knew I had Covid, I ended up in the ER with a fever and sharp chest pain I hadn’t experienced before. My history of 3 DVT’s got me sent to the ER to rule out a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in lungs).
This was on a Thursday evening and I was by myself and scared. The CT scan thankfully showed no clots, but they did a Covid test and I went home that night and awaited my results.
Having hardly slept that night; I felt awful. I didn’t know if I had Covid yet, I had a fever, and my back pain was really bad.
It was 5:30am and I lay there still trying to fall asleep, and I got a text from a sweet friend of mine. She told me she was praying for me and felt prompted to pray for me that morning.
She had no idea I just spent the night in the ER by myself, no idea I was laying there sick and in a ton of pain. There was no way she could have known. But God knew. He knew. God prompted her to pray for me and she did not ignore that prompting and faithfully prayed for me. Despite having no idea what I had just went through!
But God knew. And she prayed for me.
Make Prayer a Daily Practice
If you make prayer a daily practice, it will be one of the best decisions you will ever make.
Pray for your friends. Don’t ignore or brush aside a random thought as being “random.” You may have no idea what that person is going through in that moment.
Pray and watch what God will do.
Here is a simple and powerful prayer tool to get you started making prayer a daily practice for you and your family.
Wonderful post Lisa! Thank you. I am definitely encouraged by your experiences. I appreciate your honesty and supportive way of expressing everything!!