You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.
Matthew 21:22 (NLT)

What do you say when someone asks you to pray for them? I was challenged that if I say I will pray, then I better do it. It’s easy to say you will, walk away, and forget it. I now stop and pray right that moment to make sure I keep my word and then as the Spirit brings it to mind, to pray again.

I had a special request this fall to pray daily for my son-in-law after he was let go from his job. He asked me to pray in the afternoon because that was the lowest part of the day for him. So I set an alarm on my phone for 3:00 PM, knowing that being consistent was the hardest part of keeping this promise. So no matter where I was, that alarm would ring and I would pray.

Because I had no specifics on a daily basis, I learned to listen for God’s leading and have faith about what to pray for. One day, I felt led to pray for strength and courage, later finding out how needed that was. As the weeks passed, I was reminded how Daniel prayed and waited. It was as if no one heard his request. However, the angel showed up three weeks later and told Daniel he had heard him but was busy in the unseen world. God’s timing is not always ours, but He always does what is best for us.

I’m happy to report that he got a call with a job offer two weeks ago and will start the first of January. And would you believe? He received the call at 3:00 PM. When he told me, the tears popped into my eyes. God had blessed him with a new job but He had also blessed me for being a tiny part of it.

Let’s start 2019 by being a praying people. There is so much pain, anguish, heartache, anger, bitterness, and division in our world. Let’s see if we can make a difference by being faithful to pray — for family, friends, church and our nation.