By: Hannah Dearth
About a year ago, I taped several pieces of paper to my children’s doors. On the paper, I wrote various verses and my shorthand of what each meant to me. This made it easier for me to quickly connect specific scripture to what I said to them, but especially, to how I prayed both with and over them.
Then, after well used and nearly memorized, I couldn’t bring myself to take them down. It became this symbolism to me, of God’s word guarding them as it remained on the door to their special spaces, their rooms. Why? Because that’s what His word is. That’s what prayer is. It is active and living.
Lately, my husband and I have been in a bit of a valley. So, I decided to rebuild my prayers for him and hopefully, with him again too. I wrote several verses that felt relevant to me to pray and speak over us, and then posted them to our bedroom door with post-its. Nothing pretty or spectacular looking. When my husband saw them, he came back downstairs and hugged me tight. I could see it in his eyes, “You pray for me too. You really do.”
It really got me thinking about how often we tell someone we are praying for them, but then maybe we forget. Or, even when we do, sometimes the comment on social media or in a text, is so commonly used that the impact doesn’t sink in for either of us. Instead of a “thoughts and prayers” to anyone, why don’t we send the prayer directly to them, or make the post-it and share that photo with them? Or, add it to a simple prayer list (I keep mine on plain notebook paper in my Bible). Better yet, let’s call them or meet up and pray together.
The bigger message here, is that prayer matters. Please, let’s not let prayer lose it’s meaning, because I promise, prayer hasn’t lost it’s power.
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