Story Prayer

As I walked out of my Community Group on Sunday morning my friend Jill said to me that our friend Shelly was placed in hospice care. Shelly survived breast cancer, but then bone cancer came unexpectedly. I knew immediately that I must leave church. I heard in my heart, "Today, you will worship me with Shelly." As I walked into the care center, Scott and Jill arrived as well and called out to me. I thought in my heart, "Where three or more gather HE is in their midst." My friend Jill has the gift of mercy like no other. As we walked in, she whispered to me, "You know they say that hearing is the very last thing to go. She will be able to hear us." As I walked into the room, God pressed on my heart that I must remind her of heaven and His glorious rest. Without much thought about it, I began to pet her arm and as I held her hand, I quietly prayed through what I know about the Splendor of God, His promises and the glory of heaven. I prayed about Shelly seeing the streets of gold and standing on the crystal sea. I told her about the radiant rainbow of colors made out of precious stones and the glorious rest she will enjoy while she talked with Jesus. When I left, I wondered who the prayer was really for her or me. I felt His comfort overflow. While sitting at her celebration service, my phone quietly buzzed with an urgent call. A dear from Iowa shared that a young woman was in the hospital in Omaha that does not know the LORD and she just found out that she has a brain tumor and there is not much time. She asked, "Will you go?" How could I not? For the second time that week, God called upon me to pray through heaven with someone lying in a hospital bed suffering the evils of cancer. As I pondered over the journey I walked with these two friends, I realized that I story pray. I always feel so inadequate when called upon to minister in such crises, but I have learned to hold onto the confidence and authority of the Word of God. I know my words are not what are needed so after I discover the need and yes even the want, I begin the process of thinking through what I know about God, His character, His power, and His promises. I then allow myself to pray what I know. It occurred to me that I pray through both Old and the New Testament. I allow myself to speak God's story into the story of the one I am praying. I allow the Spirit to show me how to connect their stories so that they become one. So, I story pray. How do you pray God's Word into life circumstances? Father, Your Word does not return void and it is alive and active. Please teach us to pray Your Word into our lives and those we are called upon to pray.