The Conversation… by JoAnn

I believe in the power of prayer. It is a massive part of my Christian walk. I was saved as a young child and have been praying ever since. It has been a daily ritual for all of my life, just the same as getting dressed. Christians refer to it as putting on the armor of God. I strive to remember to pray as soon as I awake each morning, sometimes before I even open my eyes. I once heard a speaker say that you should pray before your feet hit the floor. I agree it’s a perfect way to start one’s day.

Prayer helps in many ways to guide me through the day. It calms my anxieties and gives me the confidence to face whatever is on my schedule. I have a terrible flaw of procrastinating. It’s something I really struggle with. Prayer helps me to feel more eager to accomplish a task.

Prayer isn’t just for me. I also love to pray for others, especially my family and friends. But you don’t have to be family or a friend for me to pray for you. I don’t even need to know your name. When I see someone needing, I automatically want to pray for them. The way I see it, I may be the only person in that individual’s life that is praying over them. I feel a responsibility to help another by lifting them up and praying for them.

All I need is to choose to place you in my heart. Once I do that, the conversation begins. The one between myself and my Lord. That conversation will go on for as long as it needs to. I don’t mean I will sit with my hands clasped together, speaking a formal prayer for you for hours on end. Once you are in my heart, a prayer goes up in your honor each time I think of you. But it doesn’t end there. The conversation will go on.

It doesn’t matter to me what your faith may be. It’s one human being helping another. It’s a positive action that can do no harm but only good. I don’t tell of this to boast or shed light on my good deeds. I just wanted to share my personal story with anyone who might be interested.

I have met many people in my life who believe in the power of prayer just as much or more than I do. I try never to miss the opportunity to pray for someone when the Lord brings them to my attention. All you have to do is be more aware of your surroundings. You will begin to notice people in need if you look more closely. And it will give you a great sense of hope to know you are doing something positive for someone else. All you need to do is start the conversation.