A Lesson in Prayer

Something really exciting and encouraging happened yesterday and I would REALLY LOVE TO SHARE IT WITH YOU ALL....

Yesterday I was talking to two of the Pastors from church. We were talking about what my goals are for the next three months. I told them my goal was to be willing and able to pray for people when I feel led to. They challenged me to set a realistic goal to pray for someone new every other week or so. I left that meeting feeling really good, but I secretly hoped that God would have not heard the part about me wanting to pray for someone and maybe I could squeeze by not having to pray out loud for anyone in the next three months…

…But before I continue with that train of thought I need to jump back a few months. There has been this older gentleman who comes into Kings to use the computers quite frequently. I am the receptionist two days a week so I have gotten to know him a little bit. We have spoken and he has shared a little bit about his life with me. About two weeks ago I saw him using one of the computers and something tugged at my heart. That tugging at my heart said, “You should pray for him.” Now I stood there faced with this battle. I knew I should pray for him, but I told myself that God didn’t actually put it on my heart to pray for him. I told myself that I manufactured that tugging of heart. I’m crazy, I know. So I went about my business for the next two weeks ignoring the tugging at my heart every time I saw him.

Now back to my previous narrative...

After my meeting with the two Pastors I went downstairs at the church, and you will never guess who was sat at the computers. It was the gentleman. I’m not going to lie, I was quite impressed with God. I set a goal to pray for people, and of course God held me accountable even though I was hoping he had cotton balls in his ears when I set that goal. My first thought was, “Why God? Why did you have to listen to what I said?!” But I knew what I had to do. I was so scared. I felt like Moses when God asked him to speak to Pharaoh and Moses argued with God, “I can’t do it! I’m such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?” (Exodus 6:30) But God works through the most ineloquently spoken people. So I went and sat down and talked to my friend who was sitting at the reception desk. I had convinced myself there was no way I could pray for him that day because there were too many people by the computers and I didn’t want to embarrass him... I just sat there hoping he would leave without me noticing, but unfortunately for me God doesn’t work that way. He got up and came towards reception and said hello, and we began talking as we usually do. He has really bad arthritis that causes him extreme pain, so I was asking him how he was feeling. He started telling me and my friend about some things that are affecting his health and I knew that was my window of opportunity. After several minutes of dizziness I finally mustered up the courage. I looked at him and said, “Can Milly and I pray for you?” He didn’t hear me the first time so I had to repeat myself. When he finally realized what I said his eyes lit up and he said of course I could, and he started telling us about how he knows prayer really does work and how it sure wouldn’t hurt. So there was my chance to pray for this gentleman. I prayed a quick prayer for him. Let me tell you it was as ineloquent and awkward as a prayer could get, but it was awesome. After I said amen I looked up at him and there was something different about him. He was choking back tears. He thanked me for praying for him. He said it really touched him. He shared with me how he had witnessed terrible things happening first hand all around the world with his job, and that his heart had been quite hardened over the years, and he hadn’t cried in a long time. I was so excited and encouraged that I ran back upstairs afterwards to tell the Pastors about it. It really does pay off to listen to God and act when God tells you to. You never know whose lives you will touch.

I saw the gentleman today at the church and he thanked me again for praying for him yesterday, I was really blessed by that experience. One of the biggest lessons I learned was, with God even the most nervous and awkward person can touch someone’s life. Without God I couldn’t have done anything.

With all the Love in the World,

Natalie