Faithfully Pray

My prayer list has suddenly become very long. There are so many people I know who have health concerns, personally or in their family right now. I feel blessed to not have a major concern of which I am aware. But, the weight of others' concerns is sometimes overwhelming. Lord, hear our prayers today.

God takes our prayers; leaving us empty-handed.

I try very hard to be faithful to those I promise to pray. So as I went to bed last night and couldn't sleep, I worked through all the prayers I had committed to offer. My heart was breaking as I moved through each plea and considered how that person must be feeling. The fear, the unknowns, the lack of control of the situation, the need to trust God completely...grant them courage, resolve, trust in the doctors and especially trust in God for His total manipulation of the circumstance.

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective," (James 5:13-16 NIV).

Jesus gave us righteousness when He died upon the cross for our sins. Our prayers are heard by our Heavenly Father. He has compassion for us and those we lift up. He knows the outcome, even before we ask, and our pleas are real and precious to Him. He does not ignore our calls for help, but He listens and is touched by our heart cries.

"Pray continually," (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV). "Pray all the time," (1 Thessalonians 5:17 MSG).

With every breath; pray.

I listen to Christian music radio whenever I am in the car because it keeps me grounded in Christ. It keeps my focus on Him and my prayers on those with needs. I am so touched by the lyrics of contemporary Christian music, while the hymns I grew up with remain strong like mountains in my memory, reminding me of His promises and His love. Thank you, God, for music.

Hear us when we pray, Lord.

Bring us answers and understanding.

Comfort us when we cry. Amen.