Do people ever come to your mind out of the blue? This has been happening routinely for me over the past year. There was a woman I worked with over nine years ago, the mother of my husband’s former hockey teammate, and a friend I lead bible study with last fall.  God has placed these individuals on my heart at seemingly random times.

But then I realized this likely isn’t random at all. I know this because God isn’t random. He is methodical, detail-oriented and always on time (Colossians 1:17, 2 Peter 3:8-9). Perhaps I wasn’t “randomly” recalling friends, but instead God was bringing them to mind for a very specific reason: to pray.

So, I began praying for friends as they crossed my mind. Most of the time I knew nothing about their circumstances, but I figured we could all use a divine dose of wisdom, peace and a closer walk with Jesus. These became my go-to prayers as Jesus laid specific individuals on my heart.

One day I wondered if anyone out there was silently praying for me. The thought blessed me knowing that God may be putting me on the heart of a faithful prayer warrior who at this very moment may be praying that I would draw closer to Jesus’ side.  A big thank you and deep gratitude if you are reading this and fall in this category! Hugs!

This thought prompted me to take one more step, one that required a little more boldness than my silent prayers. The Lord laid it on my heart to start writing out my prayers and sending them to the people for whom I was praying. If just the thought of someone praying on my behalf brought me peace and joy, what might God do in the hearts of others if I shared these specific prayers with them?

It started simply. I saw a friend from high school post on Facebook that he was in a serious accident, and he was asking for prayers. I scrolled through the comments and saw hundreds of praying hands emojis. I cynically wondered how many of these individuals would even remember to pray for my friend. Then, I asked myself “would I remember?” I heard the Holy Spirit say, “pray. Pray now. Type it out and send it to him.”

My heart started racing, a typical sign that I need to step out in faith, as I opened a new comment box. My words were simple and few. I hit send. I didn’t expect any response but a few days later his girlfriend replied, thanking me. I could tell she was comforted knowing people out there were pleading to God on their behalf.

A few moths later, I saw another friend post a quote suggesting we all need people in our corner who are ready to drop everything and fight on our behalf. I want to be a person my friends know will always be in their corner, encouraging them to fix their eyes on Jesus. And what better friend to have in your corner than a prayer warrior? I sent her a prayer that day, too. (Side note: I struggle with social media. It is easy to compare myself to others and get discouraged – in my mothering, my physical health/appearance, my work, etc. Writing this post has reminded me that when I fix my eyes on Jesus, he uses my insecurities and places of hurt to bring healing and glory to His name. Perhaps that’s a topic for a longer post another day 🙂

As I walk in faith, I continue writing and sending prayers to those God has placed on my heart. This practice has become a blessing to me. I’ve learned so much about God’s voice and how to hear it. I’ve learned that obedience doesn’t always require a lot of time or sacrifice. I’ve learned that God is in control over every moving part of my life and others lives, and He is often inviting us to participate so we can see more of Him and his gentle kindness.  What an honor that He has allowed me the privilege of uplifting his beloved sheep – his children and heirs – in prayer.

Moving forward, I’m going to continue lifting up others in prayer. I’m going to continue sending them my prayers or a note letting them know I’m praying for them. It’s my hope that this simple act of obedience would be a reminder to myself and others that God sees us (Psalm 121), knows what we need and is faithful to provide (Matthew 6:25-34) – and sometimes His provision is found in the most unexpected people and places.

Lean In:

1. Who has been on your heart recently? Write out a prayer and send it to them.
2. Do you know someone who has prayed for you in the past? Write them a thank you note or follow up with them letting them know how you are doing. Consider giving them specifics for how they can continue to pray for you.