Skip to main content

Prayer Request


A few weeks ago I posted about my Epiphany word for 2008 - Compassion. Since then I have noticed that word working its way into my life more so this year than last.

The ladies in my online Bible study group two Saturdays ago challenged and prayed for each other that we would step out of our comfort zone and respond to opportunities that God presents to us to show His love.

This past Saturday one of the group members mentioned that she was unaware of a need that she could have responded to, simply because the person in need did not make the need known to her. Now, I realize that God's plan could have been to fill the need in the way that it was filled, but her point was that we do not make our needs known to others who could at least be praying for us.

My pastor gave a sermon today on "Unquenchable Compassion." The words that stood out most to me in his message were "Everyone we come into contact with needs us to show compassion." (OK, maybe not his
exact words, but that's the note that I wrote down.)

I think that one of the most frustrating things for someone who is given a heart of compassion is to not know what another person's needs might be. Why do we assume that God will make us omniscient in that respect? One of the best ways to know of someone's needs is to simply ask the individual how we can be praying for him (or her). In many instances, there is nothing more compassionate or powerful that we can do for a fellow human being.

Which brings me to this:

How can I be specifically pray for you this day?

Comments

northwoodspaul said…
How easy it is to neglect to ask someone how we can pray for them. Sometimes I think we tell people who are having problems,that we are praying for them and then we either don't or we dont pray effectively because we haven't sought a specific path to pray. Thanks for that reminder. How can I pray for you?

Popular posts from this blog

Stories ... We all have one ...

Isaiah 20:2-   At that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot. In this passage God sends Isaiah to give a warning to Israel.   In addition to using words, God instructs Isaiah to do something more.   God instructs him to walk naked and barefoot for three years!    Certainly, Isaiah felt uncomfortable about what he was being called to do, but remained obedient.   The message, Isaiah was delivering far outweighed the embarrassment of being uncovered. Sometimes when we feel the prompting of God’s Spirit to share how Jesus has changed our lives we may feel uncomfortable with what God is asking us to do.   We may feel embarrassed or ashamed to “expose” our past to others for fear that we may be ridiculed or rejected if people knew what we would rather keep hidden.   We all hav...

Great!

Psalm 145:3  Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. All throughout history there have been men and woman who were considered great for one reason or another.   Thomas Edison was a great inventor; Madame Curie, a great scientist; Michael Jordan, a great basketball player.   Those who grew up in the 30’s and 40’s are said to be of the Greatest Generation.   And I can’t forget - Al and Martha Thuente are great parents (I ought to know – they’re mine)!   Usually what makes a person great is his or her accomplishments or reputation of doing good things.   But a person’s deeds and goodness have a limit.   No matter how great someone is, he can   only know so much, can do so much, can give so much, because his wisdom, ability and resources are finite.   Greatness can only be so great.   When we think of God, his greatness is limitless.   Even the greatest of men could not have created...

Cardboard Prison

When I was very young I would often sit in a corner and think.  It wasn’t because I was in trouble – I was just a very introspective kind of person, even as a child.  And often my dad would ask, “What are you doing, Mary?”  “Oh, just thinking.”  “What are you thinking about?”  “Ooh, nothing…”   “Well, how do you know when you’re finished?”  and I’d usually let out a little giggle, and be off to do something else. It is often said that the times that people are most reflective about their lives    is during times of stillness, when in the quiet all they have is their thoughts.   Imagine with me if you will, that we are peering into thoughts of someone who is in that place of reflection.   Now before we go there, let me say that this person whose thoughts we are about to delve into IS NOT ME.   It is a fictional person we’ll call Alex.   Alex can be representative of anybody.   So without further ado, let’s see w...