Intercession – Over the Long Haul

             Sometimes there are people that we pray for over many years and their faith seems at times to be becoming so real to them and at other times it falters and we wonder if they will ever find their way again.  This is the case for someone who has been on my prayer lists for many years now.  I have known her since she was just a little girl and remember how strong willed she was then.

 Her parents are wonderful people who would do anything to help anyone.  They are kind and generous and we are honoured to count them among our friends.  At sixteen, their daughter gave birth to a child that she gave up for adoption.  She went through a difficult time after that dealing with depression and at the same time rebelling against what she felt were the constraints of her upbringing.  Eventually she married and as the children came, she returned to her roots and embraced the faith.  Her greatest sorrow was that her husband was not interested in joining her in her involvement in the church. 

            This woman has musical talents and eventually became the leader of the worship team in her church.  This gave her an opportunity to work with the pastor, who was facing some challenges in his own family.  Both were vulnerable and sadly sought solace in one another instead of in their faith.  The result was two shattered families.  They are living with the outcomes of all of the subsequent upheaval and I continue to pray for her, that somehow she will come to know that difficult as it might be, she can find her way home again.  As you can imagine, I know only the superficial realities of her situation, so in my prayers I must ask the Lord to help her to find her way and provide for her the people and experiences that will enable her to do so. 

            At the same time, I pray daily for her parents.  I know they carry a burden for her and for her family.  They want so much to help her, but like so many of us, they have learned that it is not their place to try to help adult children make their decisions.  We have to allow them the freedom to make their own choices and yet offer our help and encouragement when we can.  I often pray for them, as I do for myself that they will have wisdom and discernment and know when to speak and when to remain silent.  I also give thanks when we see any indication that God is at work in this difficult situation.

            I have to admit that sometimes I wonder how long it will be before we will find evidence of the changes that will indicate a renewed faith and strengthened family relationships.  Nevertheless, I do not doubt that because of our prayers (mine and those of others who continue to remember her) grace continues to flow into the life of this dear woman and her family.   I intend to keep on remembering her daily in my prayers.

            I have invited your comments to the blog and I know that for some of you reading this, your first language is not English.  Do not worry about that.  You can just say, “I want a free copy of your book.”  That will give me concrete evidence people are reading the blog. 

Winner of The Word Guild

Christian Leadership Award 2011

INTERCESSION – LISTS FROM OTHERS

          I mentioned in an earlier blog that I include in my daily lists the prayer request lists that friends send to me for their ministries.  One of these lists contains the prayer requests that I receive from The Salvation Army’s Social Justice Commission.  This international commission was set up in New York about four years ago.  It has significant links with different operations of the United Nations.  The goal is to help The Salvation Army become more aware of the role that it can play in social justice in the world.  At the same time, it is a means whereby The Salvation Army can offer in an official manner its gifts to others for the purpose of social justice activities.  The first person that was responsible for the operation of this Commission was Commissioner Christine MacMillan and she was my friend and former boss.  I offered to help her set up her prayer support team when she began in this function, but she has since been able to develop a helpful and informative prayer newsletter that she sends out monthly or bi-monthly and I am fortunate to be one of the recipients of this letter.  It keeps alive my own passion for social justice, as I pray daily for the concerns that she brings to our attention.            

         Since Glen and I served for nearly thirty years as officers of The Salvation Army, we receive regular communications from the person at our National Office who sends out information to those who are no longer in active service.  Sometimes, one of the “retirees” will send her a prayer request and she will circulate it to the rest of us.  One of my daily acute requests is one of these.  It came from friends of ours and concerns her niece and husband, who both have serious health issues and are the parents of two little boys.  Our friend has spent some time with the family to help them out, during a month when both parents had to undergo surgery.  I am going to e-mail my friend in the next couple of days to ask her for an update on the situation for this family, so I can continue to pray intelligently for them.

          Another of the lists that comes to me by e-mail from the national office of The Salvation Army is the list of prayer requests that are prepared each month for the Canada and Bermuda Territory of The Salvation Army.  This Salvation Army global region governs our area.  At one time in my career with The Salvation Army, I was responsible for the preparation and distribution of this list, so I have some idea of what is involved in that.  The requests are now listed by week, rather than by day, so I am able to remember one of them each day in my prayer time.  Also, this month, the person who is currently responsible for preparing and distributing the list sent us a link with the National House of Prayer in Ottawa.  Going to the place on their website, she suggested, I found a list of prayer requests from the Christian Legal Fellowship of Canada.  They feel the outcomes of certain cases will shape the future of our country in significant ways, so request prayer for these particular cases. These I have added to my list.

            Since I know that there are people from many parts of the world who are reading this blog, but I have not had many responses to the blog, I am going to offer an incentive. I am going to put the names of all those who respond to the blog, in a hat and once a month, I will pick a name and send that person a copy of my book, More Questions than Answers, Sharing Faith by Listening. In this way, we will be able to make the blog more interactive. 

I will look for your comments. 

Intercession for Those We Do Not Know

With all of the other things that have been going on in my life, my intercession postings have fallen behind, although the intercession continues.  The next three pages of my intensive care prayer concerns are for people whom I have never met.  Those who are close to them have shared a little of their stories with me and I sensed that they needed my prayer support. 

            I found out about Suzanne (not her real name) from her aunt.  We were at a writers’ conference together and as we chatted over lunch one day, we confided something of our own backgrounds.  Suzanne’s aunt herself had quite a remarkable story of transformation and the tears that came to her eyes showed me she cared deeply about this niece.  Suzanne is an orphan.  Both her mother and father are gone and she has been in the care of her stepfather.  Life has sent multiple difficulties her way. Only grace will enable her to learn to enjoy things that many of us take for granted.  Every day I pray for Suzanne and when I see her aunt or exchange e-mails with her from time to time, she is excited to know that Suzanne is still being remembered in my prayers.  I do not know what is in store for Suzanne.  I do know that somehow my prayers are making a difference, even if it just means that they help her not to give up in despair.  Perhaps some day I will learn more of her story or I may never know more than I know now.  That does not matter so much.  What is important is that she is being carried into the presence of the Lord daily, in prayer. 

            Another young woman who struggles with her life situation is Lorraine (not her real name).  She lives in Europe.  Although I have never met her, Glen and I do know her parents.  Lorraine is one of many people who battle clinical depression.  She is married and has children, but when her illness is most acute, she is unable to function in these relationships.  She is dependent on her parents to help her keep going one day at a time.  She has waged this combat for years, sometimes winning and sometimes feeling that she is losing the fight.  My heart went out to her when I heard recently that she was again facing her old enemy, depression.  Glen suggested that I again add her name to my prayer list.  I do not know how my prayers will help Lorraine overcome her depression, yet I believe that somehow power is released in prayer that will enable her to slowly move toward the light.  My prayer is that some day she will be able to again enjoy the love of her family and know that she is loved unconditionally by her Heavenly Father, even when she cannot feel or respond to love.  How thankful I am that I can carry her into the Lord’s presence when she cannot go there in her own strength. 

            Lorraine is not the only person I know who is suffering from clinical depression.  There are others on my critical care prayer list.  They include a young man whom I will call Paul.  Although he is an adult, he is currently not in a relationship and is living with his recently widowed mother.  She was the one who told me his story.  For years, his grandmother prayed faithfully for this young man.  Then, last fall, she died and both mother and son felt the loss acutely.  One of the things they missed the most was her prayers.  Every day she prayed for them. Hearing that, I promised to try to fill that role for them by including them in my prayers.  I hope that some day someone else will come into their lives who can fulfill that role, perhaps someone who lives closer to them.  Their home is two time zones away from where I live.  What would be a real encouragement to me would be for them both to realize that their own prayers for themselves and for each other can be heard by God and answered.  These requests make up some of the things I pray for them, as I offer my prayers each day.  

Sharing in the Ministry of Others

Some of the people that I support with prayer are those whom I also support financially.  One of the joys of having a regular income is being able to donate to those who depend upon the resources of others for the ministry that they are doing.  When I am able to make my regular monthly donation, I feel like I have a part in the good work that they are doing. That is why I am so grateful when they keep me up-to-date on their activities.  Just today, in the mail, I received the monthly newsletter of the person whose name prompted this blog.  As well as filling me in on her activities, she also lists particular prayer requests that she has and gives the dates and different activities in which she is involved.  These all enable me to pray more intelligently for her and for her ministry.

My daughter is expecting her first baby, our first grandchild.  Since she had some difficulty about conception, I have been praying daily for Elizabeth and for the baby she is carrying.  I have wanted a grandchild for a long time and been envious of my friends, as I have watched their joy in sharing in the lives of their children’s children.  Now I am so exciting about this new addition coming into our family.  I know it is going to create a significant change in the life of our daughter and her husband, and I know that they are going to discover of depth of love that they never could have imagined exists, as this little one enters their lives.  For that reason, I feel that every day I need to pray for both the parents and the child who is growing within the body of daughter.  Already, her approaching responsibilities as a mother have been drawing Elizabeth and I closer to each other.  As I pray for the child and the pregnancy, I am aware that I need prayer for myself as well, that I will have wisdom not to try to impose what I have learned about parenting on my daughter and son-in-law, unless they ask my advice.  I need to let her learn the best way to do things herself.  The world in which she will be raising her children is not the world in which I raised mine.  Nor did I do everything right.  I am sure that there will be things that I can learn from her, if I am willing. 

I pray for another rather unique group of people.  A Christian organization in our city, twice each year sends some of the workers to the spring and fall psychic fairs that take place here.  They do not go to dabble in the occult.  What they do is meet with people to present another alternative.  The Truth they offer is what many people are looking for.  With the concern expressed in listening to people and praying for them, at each fair, a number of people decide to become Christians.  Along with meeting the visitors to the psychic fair, praying with them and if they are willing, introducing them to Christ, the organization also prepares a list of the first names and a little information about each one.  This they send out to the organization’s prayer supporters.  When I receive the names of the individuals I begin to pray through the list focusing on one name every day.  I think this kind of prayer support is crucial for those who are often brand new to the faith.  The organization is also faithful in following up by personal contact with these new believers, if they agree, so it is not just a one shot deal.  Again, I find great joy in participating in a ministry that I might not feel particularly suited to do myself, but can support by my prayers. 

Intercession - Intensive Care Requests and Country Concerns

I noted that some of the daily prayer requests that I have are what would be considered intensive care patients if they were in a hospital. One of those is the son of one of my work colleagues. His situation is complex and because of his circumstances, he has been obliged to deal with the complexities of our legal system for several years. His circumstances are precarious but his faith is strong that eventually truth will conquer. In the meantime, in order to keep going and not lose heart he and his family need the prayers of their brothers and sisters in the faith. I am so glad that I am able to be one of his stretcher-bearers, bringing him to the Lord when he is no longer able to come in his own strength and cheering him on when he is able to stand on his feet. I do not know many of the details of his story nor do I need to. All I need to know is that he is committed to doing what he believes is right and dealing with all that comes his way as a result. As I pray for this man and his challenges, I am grateful that through no merit of mine, I have not had to walk the path he is walking, but I can by my prayers accompany him.

Last fall when I attended Missions Globales, the Montreal version of Missions Fest, there was a table where you could sign up to pray for a particular country. I was planning to go to Cartagena, Colombia to accompany some of our Opportunity International donors for a visit to see how their donations were being stewarded. When I saw that Colombia was on the list of countries, I requested the information so that I could begin then to pray for Colombia. I felt that it would be a good preparation for me to be open to the people of Colombia.

I remembered how when I first went to live in France, I had begun to pray for the people there as I met them and for that country. I recall how it made me open to learn about them and the things that were important to them, as I began to learn the language and communicate with them.

The experience was similar in Colombia, although I certainly do not yet have the grasp of Spanish that I do of French. Nevertheless, I sensed an attitude of openness in the Colombians that gave me courage to try the limited vocabulary that I had and their smiles rewarded me for my efforts, especially when they actually understood what I was saying.

The list of requests that I received for Colombia included some generic requests that would apply for any country as well as some requests specific to Colombia. The kit also provided some background information like the main industries and population density, as well as other data about the country that gave me a greater understanding of what I might expect. However, when I arrived in Cartagena it seemed a different place entirely. I had no idea it was so beautiful. I had no idea that the people were so kind and friendly. I had no idea of the grinding poverty and the dreadful history that has been the lot of so many of our industrious, devoted clients. What a privilege was mine to meet them. Now when I pray for Colombia each day, it is with a far more personal understanding of the challenges and potential of this beautiful country. Here is a video of it if you would like to see Cartagena for yourself and the work that we do there.

http://youtu.be/0V2aQL-eMd8

INTERCESSION – WORKING THROUGH THE LISTS

Lately, I have been using my blog to share with you some of the interviews about my book. Now I need to get back to the subject of intercession. Continuing to work through my lists provides fodder for my reflections.

This morning, Glen and I were in Ottawa to attend the National Prayer Breakfast. At that event, I had an opportunity to greet the next couple on my list. Although, in a sense their needs might not be considered acute, the responsibilities that they carry make me feel that they need to be on the daily list. This couple is now doing the jobs that my husband, Glen and I were doing when we retired early from ministry in The Salvation Army in 2008. We know how demanding their work is, with hours of travel across this country and to other countries as well as the demands of being part of the decision-making processes in The Salvation Army. When I pray for them, I feel a sense of relief that we no longer have to carry their responsibilities. At the same time, I am compelled to pray for grace and strength for them to be able to try to accomplish all that is demanded of them as leaders is such a large Christian organization.

Were I temped to second guess their decisions, since they inevitably will approach some situations differently than we would, I think that bringing them before the Lord every day in my prayers can mitigate against that. I also think that just being made aware of them and their needs keeps me from criticizing them. It is so easy for us to fall into the habit, of somehow thinking that those who follow us will not maintain the direction that we have chosen to take in the decisions about how our work should be done, so the work will not be done the right way. That is nonsense! Perhaps praying for them helps me to avoid such foolish thinking.

A new list of prayer requests is sent to me every Sunday from the coordinator of The Word Guild Prayer Team. These are prayer requests that have been made by the members of The Word Guild. The list is usually from six to eight pages, so I work my way through one page of the prayer requests per day and by the time the next request arrives and I print it out, I have completed praying through the previous list. As a professional member of The Word Guild, with a full time occupation in the ministry of philanthropy, I cannot offer a lot of time to help with volunteer work for this fine organization. One thing I can do is give attention to the prayer requests, since I am committed to spending time in intercession anyway. This also keeps me abreast of the needs of my fellow writers and provides occasions to offer an occasional word of encouragement or hope, usually by e-mail. At the annual Write! Canada conferences, members of the prayer team have the chance to get together. We usually meet together, early every morning for prayer for the conference. This gives us all a chance to put faces to the names we are familiar with as fellow members of the prayer team.

Full Circle: Watch Online

Full Circle: Watch Online