I shuffled through the stack of blank, ready to use prayer request cards at church, and there, in the back, was my nervously handwritten request – still hidden from sight.

Just a few weeks ago I placed it there.

First, I decided I was going to be vulnerable, fill out the card, and ask for prayer concerning a physical ailment I’ve been dealing with for months. But then, at the last minute, I pushed the card aside.

Actually, I literally hid my request in the back of a box, hoping someone from the prayer team would come across it randomly. In this fashion, I wouldn’t have to actually be vocal and ask for help. I could simply let it be and God would put it in the right hands.

My logic is hopeful, but not very sensible, because if anybody knows the power of prayer, it’s me. I have prayed with many people, some of whom I didn’t personally know, and I saw God move in amazing ways. So, why would I ever hold myself back from God’s works?

Asking for Prayer Equals Strength

I am still trying to figure out this part of myself, but somewhere along the way I accepted this notion that asking for prayer and being strong do not coincide.

Let me tell you, they do.

Prayer often starts with having to be open with yourself, and then with others, whom God has sent into your life as a support system. Being open takes a lot of inner strength. There is nothing easy about telling someone you are struggling and need prayer.

Once we are willing to do so, the Lord meets us there in that prayer.

Jesus reassures us of this as well.

Jesus is always with us, but there is something special that He wants us to know about coming together in prayer. I believe it has to do with our faith being in unity. As we pray and believe as one, our faith is alive and moving and nothing can stop that.

Community Prayer Sets In Motion Our Healing

My message here today is to begin to believe that you too deserve prayer and in no way does that make you weak.

Whether you’re a pastor or someone who has never stepped foot inside a church, you can ask for prayer.

Too often, we try to do everything on our own. Yet, the Lord teaches us how important it is to live in community with each other because it can bring about healing.

Such healing begins with two steps, openness and then prayer.

Leaving everything inside oneself ends up building a heaviness in the heart that is really difficult to break down. This can lead to sadness and sin. The Lord is reminding us through this verse that if we are willing to be open and honest and then support each other through prayer, change will occur.

Another amazing part is that asking for prayer often leads us to an unexpected place of healing that we didn’t even realize we needed. The struggles we face may not actually be what we need healing from.

Maybe you have lost your peace through the struggle and the Lord wants to bring you back to a place of peace where hardships can’t shake you.

As another person prays along side you such realizations can occur.

Praying in community doesn’t mean your struggle is going to be over, but it does start the process of healing through any of the following:

• A special word that helps you move forward
• Comfort in distress
• A new sense of peace
• Knowing that you’re not alone
• Feeling God’s presence

Sometimes we just need comfort more than anything else to step into tomorrow.

Pass Along The Gift Of Prayer

The value of united prayer is immeasurable because it stays with you over time giving you hope.

I believe it’s time for many of us, including myself, to uncover any hidden prayer requests.

Prayer is really a gift; one that can and should be passed along.

As someone stands bold in prayer for you, there’s an opportunity to stand strong in prayer for them.

If you’re willing to let God lead you through a prayer for someone else, you can feel the emotion and love of the Lord shine through the prayer. There can be healing in that moment for both individuals. And I surely do not want to miss out on any such moments anymore.

The chance to build our faith through prayer is there for us to take and share.

There is no sense in hiding a single prayer request from others, and especially not from God.

May this article encourage you to ask for prayer because you do not have to face today alone.

DEDICATED TO JESUS