Tag Archives: Supplication

Supplication

Posted on by under Prayer

Journal 2018

I learned to pray out loud at my daddy’s knee. Every morning and every night without fail, our little family of five gathered together to read the Bible and pray, starting with the youngest (me) and progressing to the eldest. If I hesitated in my prayer, Daddy would prompt, “Help me, God, not to fight with my brother and sister.” (I’m not sure God answered that prayer till we were grownups.)

As a child and into young adulthood, every Wednesday night our church gathered for corporate prayer. My current place of worship prays together through digital media or sends emails listing prayer needs. Healing of the body seems to be the main focus of our requests. Is that because it’s the focus of our hearts? Or is it simply the safest thing to pray for in public? I remember a young man one time who asked our Sunday school class to pray for his emotional struggle. That stopped us cold (how could he be so vulnerable we thought), till someone jumped in to try to fix him. Ouch.

In my private prayers, I sometimes use the acronym ACTS (A = Adoration, C = Confession, T = Thanksgiving, and S = Supplication). I know what to do with the A, C, and T, but supplication or intercessory prayer in a group setting continues to baffle me.

When it’s just me and Jesus, my prayers are honest and heart related. When I’m in an inner healing prayer session with a client, it’s an intimate, vulnerable setting with safe people. I know what to pray for as we focus on lies and truth and release of pain. But when I’m in a Sunday school class or Bible study, I only hear a grocery list of concerns about doctor visits and travel safety. Those are legitimate needs, but it’s sad to me that we don’t feel safe with each other in corporate settings. And so, though I do pray for physical healing, I often pray for the person’s heart as well.

What has been your experience with corporate prayer?

Do I Really Need a Grocery List?

Posted on by under Choices, God, Prayer, Scripture

Grocery store

I’ve been a life-long student of the subject of intercessory prayer. I’ve read all the books I can find on the subject, tried all the methods suggested, and read biographies of great prayer warriors. But like the majority of us, I still struggle with my inner prayer life. Here’s a journal entry from 2009.

I have a list of people I pray for—but it’s just that—a list, for the purpose of jogging my memory. It serves the same purpose as a grocery list—it’s a reminder so I don’t forget the items at the store. The list doesn’t do much good though until it becomes fulfilled—that is, the item is taken off the shelf, paid for, taken home, and consumed.

There’s no spiritual magic for listing names of people or organizations on a piece of paper. But when I take those names with me to “the store” (the throne room of grace), I can hand the list to God and ask Him to fill the request for me, and then my soul is satisfied. In the process, I give Him permission to make substitutes—perhaps what I put on the list isn’t good for me (or for the person I’m praying for). Maybe there’s a better selection. I ask for generic and He wants to give me the brand name. Sometimes I specify a brand name, and He gives me generic because it’s a better value for my money. And then I need to ask Him to help me remember the people or things I forgot to put on my list. He’s good at that!

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1:35 NIV).

In his book A Journey into Victorious Praying, Bill Thrasher states: “The word for ‘praying’ in Mark 1:35 does not primarily refer to intercession for others but to the outpouring of His own soul to the Father for renewal and refreshment.”

Thrasher also said, “God is capable of taking my feeble prayer and interpreting my desires and deep longings and motivations. The Holy Spirit knows. . . .” He related the story of Augustine, a leader in the early church, who lived a sensual lifestyle in his early years. When he planned to go to Rome, his mother prayed, “O Lord, do not let him go to Rome because he will only get into further debauchery.” God did let him go to Rome. But it was there that he was converted. “The Spirit of God pled the deeper desire of the mother for his spiritual well-being, and God answered her heart.”

Maybe next time I go to the grocery store, it’s okay if I forget my list. Maybe I should just take time to chat with the “Grocer”!

Do you use a prayer list? Why or why not?