Before the Need
By Lisa Boyer
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone.”
1 Timothy 2:1
I woke up in the morning with a bit of a heavy heart. A friend was on my mind and I just felt the need to pray… and so I did. But the feeling didn’t go away, so I continued to pray whenever she came to mind throughout the day. By early afternoon I had this persistent feeling that I should stop by and pray with her - - at 3 o’clock. I didn’t have time to stop by and since it really doesn’t matter where you pray I continued with my day. But the closer it got to 3 o’clock the more persistent the feeling became. I know how crazy this sounds, because by this point even I was sure my emotions were getting the best of me. I tried hard to ignore it, but one thought plagued me…if God had really laid this on my heart for the day, I would regret not going and I never want to regret anything when it comes to me and God.
So I rushed to see her arriving shortly after 3 o’clock. I asked how she was and I have to admit I was a bit surprised that she was fine - - completely fine. I shared that she’d been on my heart all day, but she seemed to have no idea why. I asked if I could pray with her anyway and then I prayed. I had no idea why I had needed to pray with her, but I left knowing that I had obeyed.
After praying, I headed home to resume my hectic schedule for the day. I admit I felt a little weird about the whole thing, but trusted that I had heard correctly… God knew why He wanted me to pray with her and I didn’t need to know.
In spite of all the time I’ve spent in prayer, it’s still a bit of a mystery to me. We are clearly instructed to pray for one another, and yet the Bible states that God knows our needs before we ask Him. I cannot comprehend His reasoning, but 1 Samuel 15:22 tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice, so I will continue to obey, even though I may look foolish sometimes.
By the way, a few days after the “prayer appointment,” my dear friend endured a personal loss. I was so thankful that God had allowed me the privilege of lifting her up to Him in prayer before the need.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Today, will you spend some extra time in prayer, lifting up whoever God puts on your heart?
FURTHER READING:
Matthew 6:28-34; 1 Samuel 15:22
Lisa has been married to Ted for 19 years and they have two teenage sons. She serves as a small group leader at Oakwood Church in Student Ministries.
