Have you ever taken a few minutes to just stop and think about where you are today compared to where you used to be? I bet you’d be pleasantly surprised.
I think about my life today and the life I was living 10 years ago, even 5 years ago. Oh how things change.
The other morning as I was reading my devotional, I realized what role prayer played in influencing these changes.
Prayer isn’t just the way we cultivate our own potential; prayer is the way we recognize potential in others.
Those words are from Mark Batterson’s devotional, Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge.
The prayers of others shape our lives. Never underestimate the power of your prayers. (Tweet that)
Growing up there were a lot of words thrown my way, by others, as well as myself: fat, stupid, ugly, worthless, retarded. Guess what I believed? All of the above. No wonder I was 25 years old, weighed 330 lbs., and hated my very existence.
When we pray, things begin to change.
I remember specifically writing in my journal for God to send me a mentor – someone to walk alongside me in my life. I don’t remember how long it took for the prayer to be answered, but He answered indeed, above anything I could have asked or imagined.
He sent me a prayer warrior named Jennifer White, and for the last six years, this woman has prayed over me and for me more times than I can count. I know there were days she would have rather strangled me than pray, but she didn’t. The desire for her to strangle me has subsided in recent years, I think. Hopefully.
Prayers helps us recognize the potential in others.
Jennifer quickly realized I was writing my future story based on things I believed about myself. Instead of allowing it to continue, she stepped in the gap and used prayer to help change the course of my story. She still remains consistent in those prayers and God has done some amazing things in my life over the last five years. You can read more about them in my book, Dear Dad
Prayer… is the difference between letting things happen and making things happen.
Using prayer to see my potential, Jennifer taught me how to use prayer to see my own potential. Life isn’t filled with words of death for me anymore. I actually see and believe the potential in me, God’s potential in me.
Not only do I see the potential, I strive daily to live it out. Why? Because I don’t want to waste anything God has given me to use for His glory. I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but I know I’m on the right path.
Prayer changes how you see others.
When I find myself praying for others the way Jennifer prayed for me, I see them differently. I don’t always see the annoyance. Instead, I see pain in their hearts – their struggles, and I pray.
I have to frequently ask myself, Am I using prayer to see the potential in others? If the answer is “no”, it’s usually because I have a ginormous log sticking out of my eye.
Friends, our prayers are important. God doesn’t necessarily need our prayers to change others, but He loves them. He desires to hear from us – to hear us standing in the gap for others.
I challenge you today to think of one person you can stand in the gap for. Who’s that one person you know rubs you the wrong way? Can you make a list of blessings to pray over them? Consider asking them how exactly you can pray for them.
How can you use prayer to see her potential? How are you using prayer to help write his future?
This is a wonderful post, Sundi. Yes: I can think of one person who I should pray for in this way: someone who needs words of affirmation to have a better future. Thanks for the nudge. BTW: I love the new blog header!
Thanks so much. Praying she receives your encouragement, and thanks for the thumbs up on the header.
Really needed this today – thanks!
So glad it was helpful, Donna.
Great post! Will definitely start standing in the gap for one person in particular. My mom was a fervent prayer warrior for our family as well as many others. She was an example for me of how to pray and myself and my brother and sisters are living proof that prayer works! Funny that I didn’t even know the extent of her prayers until after her death. She kept journals and I got to see answered prayers throughout the years. I want to be that example for my own kids as well. Thanks!
Sue, I love that she kept journals. I am constantly writing prayers in my journal. It’s a powerful tool.
You made me cry in a good way. And in a sad way because my best friend, my sister in Christ, my stand-in-the-gap prayer warrior (and I was hers) chose to leave our friendship when I remarried. I feel so alone and have begun to feel hard inside. You helped me to recognize that what I really need to do is just to step up and stand in the gap for someone else — maybe even a lot of someone elses.
Thank you.
Shelby, I’m so glad the post was encouraging to you. Here’s to standing in the gap!