Prayer Is Essential

“In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” Ephesians 6:18

During this past month my church entered into 21 days of prayer. The reason for this number you might ask? Studies say it takes 21 days before something becomes a habit. Our pastor’s hope was that after this experience we would all develop a habit of prayer and in turn become more devoted in our prayer life.

Even though I pray daily and believe that prayer is a personal conversation with my Creator and Savior, I have become more intentional. I have taken time to pray specifically for my husband, my daughter, my family and my friends. I have asked God to show me who I need to pray for even when I may not know exactly what a person’s need is.

A few weeks ago I sat beside of a woman in church that I had never seen before. When our pastor asked if there was anyone who needed prayer, she raised her hand. The Holy Spirit nudged me to pray for this person with a need I didn’t know. I began to pray over her health and healing. When I finished praying she explained that she was having heart issues and currently wearing a heart monitor and was very afraid.

Later I received a text from a friend explaining that the woman I prayed for in church that morning was her mother-in-law who was visiting from out of state. Even better was seeing her this week and her telling me how much better she was doing! It’s not always easy to step out of our comfort zone and pray for someone, especially when we don’t know them, but it is powerful and works when we do!