The Ministry of Prayer

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16b

I was struck by a statement that a dear friend of mine made this evening. I had written to her, asking her to pray for me. I was in need of God's help to finish a writing assignment before we leave for a mini vacation tomorrow afternoon. I knew my time was limited and I needed help with creativity and clear thinking. So I sent a quick email to my friend asking her to pray for me. She responded immediately that she stopped what she was doing and prayed. What usually takes me a while to complete, came together in less than an hour's time.

So back to the email this evening. Here is what my friend said. "I wish people would share requests more often & be willing to share after the "crisis/request" has passed and how God works in it. I think sharing this info is encouraging to the prayer warrier as it is to the person who is prayed for." Her statement made me realize the importance of sharing our requests - to let others know when we are struggling. When we seek help through other's praying, it allows them the opportunity to be used of God. We both get blessed in the process.