ch 9 stablility

We shared our stories.

Last night my friends and I sat around the table. Our plates were filled. Our Bibles open. We’ve been studying spiritual warfare.

As we talked we realized that many of us were in a battle.

For many, the battle included people — most of them were loved ones.

It’s such a tender place.

One story after another. Not knowing what to do. The real frustration. The real feelings that want to take you to the absolute wrong place.

Let’s flip this, I said.

What?

Let’s flip this. We need a safe place to talk about our feelings, but let’s go the opposite direction that the enemy wants to take us.

The Word says that prayer is powerful and effective. Let’s take that to heart and see what happens.

So we prayed, each one of us, for each person that we were talking about just a moment before.

We didn’t ask God to fix them.

Not to make them change in our situation. We didn’t pray for the hurt or the disagreement or that God would do what we want him to do.

We flipped it to pray for that person. To love them through prayer.

Bless that loved one, Father.

Meet him or her right where he or she is and show your love. 

Draw that one close. Bless that one as they wake up and when they go about their day. Speak to that person and remind him or her of your great love.

One by one we went around the table and prayed.

prayer

Something broke.

{Tweet This}

Something significant.

Tangible feelings of hurt and anger ebbed, to replace them with prayer for each person.

The prayers moved from rote to genuine.

As we prayed an invitation emerged for each of us.

To walk toward Jesus, rather than away.

To choose love over angst.

To see that person as loved by God.

Maybe today you are struggling, and the focus has been on you. I get that. I do. Let’s flip it, however, and pray for that person.

Every time anger or hurt tries to take you down a path you don’t want to go, whisper a prayer over that person instead.

Do it as many times as you need.

Let’s start right now.

Suzie

prayingupsidedownIf you are looking for a great resource on prayer, I suggest Praying Upside Down by Kelly O’Dell Stanley.

It’s a beautiful concept of prayer and it’s powerful.

 

 

[inlinkz_linkup id=639993 mode=1]