This is Day 21 of “21 Days of Prayer”…Wow! It’s hard to express all that has happened during these days of prayer and fasting. I know that I, personally, am not the same. God has used this time to make me more aware of loving my neighbor. I have become more aware of His constant presence as I am forming the habit of praying continually – all day long. Through intercession for those who don’t know Him yet, He has given me greater love and understanding. As I’ve interceded for our leaders, I find myself softening in my attitude and less likely to criticize. I have greater compassion for those leaders who are faced with monumental decisions to make every day. Through praying for my husband, he has deepened my love and appreciation for him. My heart has been burdened and grieved for those who have addictions, for those with mental illness, for those who need physical healing, for those who are having marital difficulties and for those who just want to give up. In praying for churches and specifically for our own church, I believe God has allowed me to see His vision for the church and what He desires the church to be – a beacon of hope, not disunity.
A big “aha” for me during this time is that through intercession and prayer, I am “partnering with God”. I was reminded of “take your child to work” day. (This is a national day on the fourth Thursday of April). There is such joy in children getting to go to work with parents! That’s the kind of joy we have when we see answers to prayer because we “went to work with God”. It’s a partnership.
We are living in unprecedented times. In the world we live in, it’s easy to begin to feel swallowed up in the meanness, the lack of compassion, the selfishness…The challenge is right in front of us: make love louder. Louder than chaos. Louder than hate.
I have had many distractions which interrupt what I may be trying to accomplish, but looking at distractions as opportunities to show love is a HUGE change for me. I believe God is working in my natural “Martha heart”. Jesus loved Martha and was not condemning her or saying He loved Mary better because of Mary’s personality. I believe He was telling Martha to watch for the things that really matter and to not let busyness or her “to do” list take precedence. This has spoken to me recently.
Another thing I’m learning is that kindness is such a simple act. It can happen in our day-to-day interactions. It’s small, but reaps huge in offering glimmers of love and hope. What are some simple kindnesses? Listening…truly listening without an eyeroll, even though I’ve heard the same story over and over again. (Isn’t that what Jesus would do?) Love is helping ease another’s load, even though our own load feels almost too heavy to bear. By easing someone else’s load, my load feels lighter. I don’t quite understand how that works!
What does love require of me? “Do you love Me” asks Jesus. “Feed my sheep.” We know that every good and perfect gift comes from above. Listening to the Holy Spirit, He will show us ways to be kind and be His “gift” to someone who needs it just at that very moment.
The kindest act, best gift, best way to love is to pray for the sheep. All the sheep. The ones “in the fold” and the ones “outside the fold”. Hal Perkins in “Discipled by Jesus” describes the four kinds of sheep as: yourself, your family, your friends (other believers), and “lost” people. (Unbelievers) I think Jesus included one more “sheep” – your enemies. When Jesus said to “love our neighbor as ourself”, the question is asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Isn’t it all the sheep?
It’s amazing how praying for our “neighbors” can result in loving our “neighbors”! I believe that is because when we pray with the Holy Spirit (partnering with God), we begin to see others through His eyes of love.
Jesus said: “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies and do something wonderful for them in return for their hatred. When someone curses you, bless that person in return. When others mistreat and harass you, accept it as your mission to pray for them. Luke 6:27-28 TPT
I want to become more kind. I want to intentionally shower kindness on my spouse. I want to look for ways to be kind to my neighbors, to strangers, to my enemies. I want to speak words of blessing and life over those with whom I come into contact. It all starts with prayer. This is what 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting has taught me.
Prayer: Thank You, Lord. Keep the fire lit in our lives. Help us to go make a difference, even though it may be only one person at a time.
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