As a Prayer Coordinator I am privileged to pray for so many people with various needs. Sometimes the need is light with the hope of a new change or blessing. But of late it has been heavy with the need for so many to be healed. Yesterday, our church family lost a wonderful man to cancer who was not only a blessing to his family but to ours as well! He had a quiet strength that endured during his illness which glorified his creator and encouraged everyone around him, even in his suffering.
After hearing the news, I felt the need to stop by our church office today to talk to a Pastor, who happens to be a close friend of the man. This Pastor and our Prayer Team have had the privilege to pray for him from the moment we heard of his original diagnosis to the day a couple of weeks ago when we found out that he would be going home soon.
As we were talking this morning, I was reminded of my initial feelings a few weeks ago when I found out the man would need hospice care soon. I thought about how hard the news was to take. I am sure that sounds odd but praying for this man and others with life threatening illnesses has impacted my whole family as we have learned to care about them through prayer. God has used the beautiful tool of prayer to shape our hearts in a whole new way and we have learned to love those suffering in our church as well as their families.
As we continued to talk this morning, the Pastor asked me, “how I felt about having lost someone as a Prayer Coordinator when it seemed like my prayers weren’t answered?” As I thought about it, my response was to first realize what a great privilege it has been to pray for the wonderful man and his whole family as well as his friends. My honest feeling is that prayer itself is a gift as well as the people God places on our hearts to pray for! Each moment we spend with God in prayer, we grow closer to him. Through it, our hearts somehow become knit together with the people we pray for, some more than others. As I thought about my second response to the question, I realized that I truly believe that prayers for the man that passed away were answered! The response to our prayers may have been unexpected or unwanted but they were answered. The man himself knew where he was going so that means he is not lost at all but exactly where he wants to be. Honestly this is hard to say out loud because it sounds sort of flippant but I mean it with sincerity.
James 5:16 reminds us to pray for one another! Upon reading this scripture, it might be easy to gloss over, but please be encouraged to take it at face value. It is a powerful reminder that a life of prayer is meant to be intentional! Here, read it for yourself, 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. As I continue to pray today for the people in my life that are struggling physically and emotionally, God is tugging on my heart to pray with even more intention than before. I am praying that you will be as well!
