Have you ever had a friend ask you to pray for her?
Have you ever thought about the power you are wielding when you take her up on her request and purposefully pray?
Earlier in the week I had been feeling poorly and was not doing well at all.
I messaged my friend and asked her and a mutual acquaintance to pray.
They did.
I was greatly improved the next day.
So much so that I had an extremely full and productive day. A very good day.
The next day I was up at the crack of dawn and running on full throttle. It was pretty amazing considering how busy I was the day before. When my friend met me up at the workshop, I thanked her for praying for me and she mentioned that I actually looked much better than the last time she’d seen me. It seems my face is a giveaway for all things internal.
Here’s the thing… my feeling so much better was ONLY the result of prayer. No medicine was involved, nothing else changed in my lifestyle. It was God moving to restore my health, moved by the prayers of my friends.
Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God’s people.
Ephesians 6:18
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Maybe you’ve had an experience like mine.
I’m a firm believer in prayer and know the prayers of godly people make things happen.
Yet, it’s so good to be on the receiving end and be reminded of how important it is for me to pray and stand with my friends in prayer.
What did you see or experience that could only have happened because someone prayed for you?
When someone asks you to pray… what’s your response? 
Download this 5×7 Inspirational Scripture suitable for framing here. (For Personal Use ONLY.)
It’s JoyDay!
The book of James in the Bible begins with these words… Consider it all joy. We don’t want to miss the joy that is ahead for us. When we take the time to give thanks for all the situations we are walking through, we will find joy. So… please join me in thinking back over the past week and counting seven things for which you are thankful. This simple exercise of counting and giving thanks together in this space is something we do each week to reset our compasses and put our eyes back on the Lord. And ultimately fill our hearts with JOY!
I’ll start…
Thank you, God…
- for hearing the heart cries of your people standing in the gap for me.
- for a really fun and productive day that ended with a glorious pastel sunset on a warm summer-like fall day.
- for silly parents who change their minds and ultimately make the better choice for their children.
- for pumpkins in the prettiest pastel colors.
- for thrift stores that hold special treasures for us.
- for your goodness in our lives and your amazing provision.
- for farmers’ markets and the bounty that awaits us as the season starts to wind down.
Now…it’s YOUR turn!
List your ‘seven’ in the ‘share your extraordinary thoughts’ section below. You’ll be glad you did.
Thank you for stopping by and leaving your sweet thoughts.
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Happy Sunday Diane!
Glad you’re feeling better, isn’t our God awesome!
I have so many things I’m thankful for but I’ll keep it to 7.
1. My dad had another birthday. That’s 5 birthdays he has had since the doctors said,” he probably will not live through the night.” Happy Birthday Daddy, I love you!
2.The other night I saw the most amazing sky. Blue and pink and a touch of purple.
3. I’m all stuffed up and sneezing. Good? Oh yes, I’ve been in my garden collecting seeds for next spring.
4. While in my garden I found one of the little frogs that lives near my fountain and sings his little songs to me. This time he did NOT jump on my face, yep not this time.
5. Jilly found a job.
6. I had such a relaxing time decorating my family room fireplace for fall.
7. My oldest son treated me to a shopping trip to a local thrift shop. I found a wonderful cozy mystery series. It is Christian based so no murders, sex, bad language or ugliness.
I would love to give the name of them but I don’t know if that would give you any kind of trouble. I’ll gladly pass on the info but only with your permission.
Have a beautiful week.
Blessings to you!
Minnie
Joy Day!
Yes I had an answer to prayers by others for me.
1. I’m totally healthy! (I still am injured with all its stuff but no cancer in biopsy)!!
2. We’ve had cool sunny autumn ? days!! Lifts my ❤️ To lie here to hear rustling leaves, birds chirp, a plane passing in the distance
3. It had been months and I saw all three grandsons in a 24 hour period
4. Ideas swirl around for me. Creative ideas –fun to plan
5. Good sermon to remind me about love.
Well it’s hard to remember them all!! But a few years ago, our son was going through the most difficult and sad time of his life and it really seemed like there was no light at the end of tunnel. SO many of our friends were praying for him and us. He remained faithful to the Lord and here we are, three years later and his life has been transformed. Those circumstances could not have turned out this way without the Lord’s intervention! I had the privilege of praying with a teacher who serves under me at church last week regarding a crisis in her life. I continue to pray. I often will try to pray with the person asking for prayer RIGHT then because sometimes we forget and get busy. I try to never toss the words around “I’ll pray for you”.
Glad you are feeling better.
I’m thankful for another year of life, as yesterday was my 71st birthday.
I’m thankful my daughter uses her musical talent for the Lord, and was the soloist on my birthday Sunday.
I’m thankful for my sweet and generous husband who took the whole family out for a birthday dinner.
I’m thankful for our wonderful Bible teaching pastor who reminded us that prayer is not the LEAST we can but the MOST we can do for anyone or any situation.
I’m thankful I am still learning to turn all my anxious thoughts over to the Lord.
I’m thankful for the love that is my family.
I’m thankful I have so many more things than 7 to be thankful for!
Two thoughts come to mind after having read your blog entry, Diane. Praying for others is a habit I formed when I went to St. Timothy Presbyterian Church in Bedford, Texas. I do this regularly for many of my friends and Family members and I cosider it a privilege to be able to do so! However, in times of trouble, there are only several friends of mine, you being one, Diane, who offers their prayers to me. Perhaps I am being a bit selfish but I worry about what this second revelation says about me. Why do I have so few friends? Maybe, as I’ve aged, the number of quality friendships I’ve made has dwindled because I am more selective. Their opinions are important to me and my tolerance for closed mindedness and snobbery is no more! My standards in choosing friends have changed and are set quite a bit higher than when I was younger. Do they have a loving relationship with Our Lord God and do they care about others? If they have a family, do their family members matter to them and do they have a strong feeling of self?
This post has really interested me and it has mustered up quite a bit of thought on my part. Thank you for getting me involved with some things I had secretly questioned that now must be addressed!
Joy Day
Thank you Lord for:
1. an inquisitive mind.
2. the grateful attitude you so kindly allowed me to have.
3. my new, healthy self-care schedule to which I am happily adhering!
4. my loving family whose goal it is to work hard and enjoy each and every day!
5. Guy, for he cares for me in every imaginable way!!
6. my Dear Grandchildren who give me great pleasure and days, months and years full of JOY!
7. You, Diane, for without you, there would be no one for me to turn to in my hours of need? You have no idea what you mean to me. I am grateful for our friendship!
My dear friend, I do think that as we grow older our circle of friends grows a bit smaller. We come to a point where our priorities (and relational expectations?), well, take a higher priority, as do our families. The ramifications of that are big on so many different levels. However that may be, never for a second let it suggest that your value is diminished in any way. You are an incredible woman and your faith has grown dramatically since I’ve known you (and may have outgrown some of your friends). Continue to be your gracious loving self, hungry to know God more and to experience the abundant life he has for you. As I read your ‘seven’ I rejoice with you in God’s goodness in your life. Have a blessed and JOYfilled week, Lucy!! xo