When my daughter and grandson were very sick, I learned the power of prayer — my own prayers and the prayer of others.
I have been a licensed practitioner for 7 years. To receive my license, I took nearly 4 years of classes and passed a written and oral exam. To maintain my license, I must continue my education with Centers for Spiritual Living teachers and ministers. Since much of my education is focused on prayer, I know much about prayer and praying for people.
Praying for Family
But last week, when my 9-year-old grandson developed a serious case of pneumonia, my first instinct was to panic. After working through the panic, I started to pray for him and his mother (who also was sick) But, despite my prayers, he was getting worse instead of better and ended up in the hospital.
Being a seasoned prayer practitioner, I felt I should be able to pray harder until I saw some serious results. After all, that is what we believe and teach. And, of course, I should be able to do this on my own, right?!
As a practitioner, I am a part of a few different practitioner groups. I also know a lot of ministers who would be willing to pray with me without question. But why, I thought, do I need to rely on someone else to pray with me?
I know many, like me, believe they can do it themselves. After all, we are ‘self-made’ people who can accomplish anything ourselves. NOT!!
I saw the Light!
It finally dawned on me to ask my home body of practitioners (and a few other ministers who are close friends) to stand in the gap for me with my grandson.
I kept my cool during this time, trying to emotionally support my daughter and her son. But my ability to step away from the situation to believe and proclaim wholeness for my son and his mother was lacking.
Sometimes I got so wrapped up in the circumstances that I couldn’t see clearly. I imagine I am not the only one who has struggled with this.
This is the beauty of practitioners. When I (or anyone) is lost in the maze of dealing with life, practitioners are ready and willing to hold me and my situation in prayer. Practitioners believe for us or stand in the gap when we feel helpless or inadequate — a demonstration of the power of prayer.
After I asked my practitioner and minister friends to pray about this, I began to relax, knowing I did not need to do this alone. Amazing!
NOTE: My grandson is out of the hospital and improving. If I find myself in a situation like this again, I will remember that others will help. There is always power in the prayers of many when we become too close to a situation to see clearly.
One thought on “The Power of Prayer”