“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

~Acts 1:8 NKJV

Peter and the disciples were gathered in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost.

They were all praying together and were united in a common purpose. Look what happened because of that day: The world was turned upside down. Or, should I say, right side up!

When we accept the sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross and make Him our Savior and Lord, we become joint heirs with Him. And because we are part of the family of God, we have the privilege to communicate with Him through prayer. He has called each one of us to pray–deliberately, specifically, proactively, and passionately.

During prayer, we can receive a peace we can’t comprehend, and that peace will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. We can rest assured that no matter what happens in our lives, God is with us and will never leave us or forsake us.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

Several years ago, I served on a Lay Witness Mission at a church in Macon, Georgia, and was housed for the weekend with Dee, who was a member of the church where the mission was held. Months before the Lay Witness weekend is scheduled, the church begins to pray for each person who is to be a part of the visiting team. They also pray for their church and its members.

Dee said she immediately started praying for me. She wrote my name on sticky notes and placed them all over her house and car. She prayed for me by name every time she saw a sticky note. She kept calling my name in prayer–morning, noon, and night.

I was humbled and awed by such an outpouring of love by someone I had never met and did not even know existed until about a week before the mission. All she knew about me was my name and mailing address. But she didn’t have to know anything about me – God knew everything about me! Her part was to pray for me.

Friend, what would happen in our churches and communities if we prayed like that? What if we pick one person a week, or a month, or a year and determine to pray for them daily? What if just five people in every church did this? Might our churches begin to be full, and our ministries become more effective?

All the church programs, visitation teams, membership drives, and all the other things we try are not worth a drop in the bucket if we don’t cover those activities in specific, serious, proactive, and passionate prayer. If we want to be effective in winning others to Christ, we can come together with other believers and pray passionate and proactive prayers – desperate prayers – focusing on reaching the lost for Jesus Christ.

I challenge you to join me to make prayer the number one priority in your life. Let’s determine to turn our communities right-side-up for Jesus Christ.

Who is the Lord nudging you to pray for today?

Thank You, Lord, for causing Your face to shine on me. Thank You for making me strong, like a tree planted by water with You as my Source, displaying Your splendor. May I be fruitful in finances and relationships, and may the work of my hands prosper. Having all that I need, may I abound in every good work and be favored by You, Lord, forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2022: The Privilege of Prayer: Evelyn Mason Wells: All Rights Reserved