Praying For You

Forgive me for posting so many articles lately. I keep coming across relevant material that I have to share. And since I could never say it better, I just post their writings hoping you will spend time reading them. Anyway, here is another article on prayer. It meets me where I am. Maybe you too often find yourself saying (or hearing) these words, "I am praying for you." Here are some thoughts along that line:

But what about the times when someone has told you that they are praying for you, and you know that they are doing just that: crying out to God on your behalf. Have you ever heard anyone say that they could feel the prayers of believers moving them through a difficult situation? For these people, the power of prayer moves well beyond encouragement.

In fact, when uttered on sincere lips, "I'm praying for you" can be as frightening a thought as it is encouraging. Someone is standing at the throne of God with your name on her heart. This introduces an entirely new set of concerns: Is she praying for me the way I'm praying for myself? Is he asking God for the answer I'm longing for? When my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I was livid when someone told me they were praying that God would take him home quickly--despite the fact that in between our cries for healing, we were praying God's will would be done. As someone once noted, prayer requires more of the heart than of the tongue. Knowing that someone is standing before God on your behalf is powerful not because she is standing with you but because she is standing with God.

Carattini, Jill. Slice of Infinity: Power of Prayer.