Prayer requests - updated

UPDATE: I wanted to thank all of you who prayed with me last week as I ministered to someone recovering from major surgery. God is good! She came through very well and is healing just as hoped for. Thank you for lifting me up; I needed a lot of strength, and I could feel God's peace as I worked. Praise Him for His faithfulness!

Each time that we share prayer requests, I'm reminded of the special and comforting verses in John's gospel:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other. (John 15: 1-17)

As we pause today, we first affirm that we love Him, and then that we love one another. And one way to show that love is to give our full attention to the needs of others.

As we begin to pray, we should start with thanksgiving. When we thank the Lord for things, do we just say, "Oh, thank you Lord, for all my blessings."
Or do we say, "Thank you, Lord, for my warm and cozy home. Thank you for the food in my refrigerator."
"Thank you for my health."
"Thank you for my loving and supportive husband/father/mother (you insert the person!)."

I began thinking about this when we studied Miriam.
Moses' song, which Miriam then led the women in singing, was very specific! He thanked God for the fact that the horses and men had been "hurled into the sea." And he went on to pick out particular things to mention to God, and to be grateful for.

I hope that we will imitate Moses in this way. Let's thank our Father for specific things, and show our gratitude to Him. Then let's ask for His comfort, His intervention, His assistance with specific things in our lives.

Leave a comment here today and let us know how we can join you in prayer. What is in your heart? What is on your mind?
Share it and know that we are praying alongside you.