I once heard a story about some tourists traveling through a little village. They had gone to the sites on the tour map indicating where famous people were born or landmark events happened. They were unfamiliar with this place so they asked one of the locals, “were any great men born in this village?” The local resident replied, “no, only babies.”
No one is born a great man. Likewise, who of us are born prayer warriors? We all begin as babies. Maturity in any field involves time and practice. It takes commitment. A steadfast prayer life does not just happen, it is developed and strengthened “in the field.” The more often you show up for battle, the more fit you become.
The Scriptures encourage us to devote ourselves to prayer and labor earnestly for others in prayer (Colossians 4:2, 12). How can we do either of those without a commitment of our time and practice? I’ve learned that a “prayer warrior” is not an imposing figure who shouts the loudest, but rather one who is continually devoting themselves to the labor of prayer.
I think it’s safe to say I’ve met a few prayer warriors on line. Last month marked our 8th year of hosting The WITNESSES FOR JESUS CHRISTIAN PRAYER SUPPORT MEETUP There were no great men born on January 28, 2009, only babies. But within those 8 years, some warriors were developed through a commitment of time and practice in the field. Since 2009, hundreds (perhaps thousands?) of people have been carried in prayer by those committed to that support group. The sheer longevity of that amazes me!
Our main focus there is to intercede on behalf of those struggling their way out of the Watchtower or Mormonism and provide a prayer covering for those who minister to them. But it’s proven to be a powerful venue in developing and strengthening our own prayer lives as well.
The Apostle Paul made reference in Romans 1:9-10 to his personal time in prayer announcing that God was his witness as to how much he prayed. I agree there is great value and reward in having God alone as your witness, but we are also encouraged to gather together and agree in prayer (Matthew 18:19-20). So we’re encouraged to have others witness our prayers as well as God.
Why pray with others if God is our witness? For one thing, devotion to anything can become wearisome after a while. We have the example of Moses who prayed in behalf of Israel. When he grew weary, God provided Aaron and Hur to lift his arms and continue (Exodus 17:11-12). Being part of a prayer group allows us to remain devoted whether in our strength or weakness. At times we are Moses needing the support of others to help us continue to pray, at times we are the support for those who’ve grown weary.
We also learn through listening to how others pray. In our on line Prayer Meetup, we encourage people to write their prayers out as if they were speaking them. Remember when the disciples listened to Jesus pray and then asked “teach us to pray?” (Luke 11:1) Sometimes it is by observing the praise and supplications of others that move us to desire deeper devotions and ask God to teach us to pray.
No one is born a prayer warrior, we all begin as babies. If you have set a goal of developing a stronger prayer life, we invite you to come as you are to our WITNESSES FOR JESUS CHRISTIAN PRAYER SUPPORT MEETUP
We meet on line every second Tuesday morning of the month. It’s for those who desire to pray and for those seeking prayer. If you are in need of prayer for yourself or a loved one struggling with cult-related issues, please consider joining us at our next monthly prayer Meetup.
Our next monthly Prayer Meeting is Tuesday, February 14
We meet on line that morning. Check your time zone.
7:00 am Pacific time
8:00 am Mountain time
9:00 am Central time
10:00 am Eastern time
Keep yourself in God’s love, Julie
