Don't limit the power of your prayers.

*This is part of a series I've started on here, "Learning Lessons."  To see the intro to the series, check out My first blog series.

The one surefire way that I know of to limit the power of our prayers is to not pray.

I have come to realize that I have often not prayed for someone/something because it was a person/situation far enough removed from me that I knew they'd never know I prayed for them and I'd most likely never know how God used my prayers.  Wow... that is really humbling to actually put out there for the world to see my selfishness...  Unfortunately, it is true though.

As I continue to learn and grow I realize how prayer is not ultimately about me, and it isn't even about the people I pray for.  It is to a degree, and that will be the subject of a future post in this little series.  But prayer, in its essence, is about God.  Simply by seeking Him in prayer we are acknowledging His infinite worth and worshipping Him for who He is.  And by crying out and petitioning on the behalf of others, we are praying what Jesus instructed us to pray- "God, increase the presence of Your kingdom here, among us, now!" (Matthew 6:10)  This is what prayer is all about.

There are random nights when I am overcome with a burden and sense of urgency to pray for people who are on the edge of suicide right then.  Tonight was one of those nights.  I wonder how many times that I was on the edge of suicide, someone somewhere prayed that I would find enough hope to go to bed that night rather than follow through in my plans.  I'll never know if God chose to use my tearful pleas to move in someone's heart that they might step back from the edge, put the knife down, lower the gun, flush the pills, park the car, etc.  But I know that if I don't pray, He obviously can't use my prayers.

There have been times that I have been driving down the street and I get an overwhelming urge to pray that God's presence would just flood over a random person I see, leveling them with His glory and love and nearness.  Or every time an emergency vehicle speeds by I try to remember to pray for whoever might be involved in the incident and the first responders and the friends and family that might be affected.  I have no clue what, if any, affect my prayers have on those people and situations.  I just know that if I don't pray, there's not even an opportunity to impact them.

Thanks to a very wise mentor, I am certain that God delights in moving through the prayers of His people, and has ordained in His sovereignty that He will carry out His will (at least in part) by answering our prayers.  I think it is good for my pride that more often than not I have no idea how God chooses to use my prayers, it helps me remember that He is the one with the power and wisdom.  But He has invited me to be a part of what He does, and has given me the responsibility to be faithful in the opportunities He offers to join with Him.  Those opportunities take on all sorts of forms, but I believe they always include a charge to pray.

Right now something I am trying to be incredibly intentional about is never passing up a moment when I feel the nudge to pray for someone- whether they are a person that I will never cross paths with, or praying aloud with/for someone I do cross paths with.  Because it is becoming increasingly evident to me that there is no power in a prayer that is never prayed.  If anything, more power is surrendered to Satan.