Prayer

I am so glad for the gift of prayer that God has provided us.  Prayer brings peace to me in times of trouble, distress, pain, hurt and even happiness.  Prayer for me can be bowing to my knees, simply bowing my head, or even just talking out loud to God with my eyes wide open.  I feel I can talk to God about anything and I do quite frequently.  I didn't realize till recently that the gift of intercession was something God had given me.  With that said anyone can pray anytime and anywhere.  We took a spiritual gift assessment at our church and while intercession was not my number one gift, it did rank as number 3.  With that awareness I now look at prayer in a slightly different way.  I have always been taught if you do not use your gifts you will lose them.  Before this assessment showed this gift, I prayed but now I feel empowered to pray.  Does that make sense?  I feel it is my duty.  And No, I am not praying now as a job I have to do but I feel that God places things on my heart that He wants me to pray for and I feel led to pray for them.  This urge to pray sometimes feels like a weight on my heart but when I pray God lifts that weight.  Sometimes the need to pray for an individual or situation remains on my heart.  Tonight I am once again feeling that heaviness.  It's not a bad thing, in a way I feel it is a privilege to feel the urge to pray and to continue to feel that urge even after the initial prayer.  I know His spirit is calling me, I know He is connecting with me, and I know I have a job to do.  So I pray,  I believe and I trust that my prayers will be heard.  I firmly believe that God answers prayers.  I believe my God can heal and correct situations instantly.  I also know that God has a plan for each of his children's lives and I believe that He works His will in each of our lives.  Since taking a discipleship class on prayer last spring I pray God's will be done even when it is not my will.  What is better than His Will.......nothing even if we don't understand it.  So God's Will Be Done in my life and in others. 
Tonight I am praying for Charles Humphries a 16 year old with cancer.  Charles was taken back to Chapel Hill this afternoon.  Please remember him and his family in your prayers.

I am also praying for fellow choir member Peggy Bowers.  Peggy is in Chapel Hill's burn center with a reaction to medication that is called Steven Johnson syndrome.  It is causing burn like symptoms all over her body.  This is very rare and she is on life support and being kept sedated while this process continues in her body.  Her husband today said she will get worse before she gets better. 

Also we received a prayer request tonight for a mom of 2 small children that attempted suicide today.  This breaks my heart.  I think of those fighting for their lives and the fact that someone was low enough to try to take theirs prematurely breaks my heart.  Please, please remember her in prayer.

God is Good and He has provided us the gift of prayer for a reason.  Yes, He already knows these requests but He wants to hear from us and by praying for these request we get to be apart of the blessing that is received when these prayers are answered. 

Thanks for all the prayers for me.  My markers were down to 141 this week.  MRI will be done on Wednesday.  God is working in my life.  I told my mom today I wanted a tshirt that said....I am a miracle....ask me how.  My life, each day is a gift from God.  To see my child start middle school was a gift.  Oh How I love HIM and I will say it a million times....I don't deserve His love or His goodness to me but He provides it anyway.  Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that Name!  Master, Savior, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all heaven and earth proclaim, Kings and Kingdoms may all pass away but there's something about that name. 

Keep Praying and Keep Looking Up!

Tammy