Feb 07, 2011 Connecting By Praying
Originally posted on June 9, 2004
Last week I wrote to you about overcoming the problem of disconnection. I shared with you the common traits I have seen in people who have overcome the feeling of being disconnected at church.
Let me share with you my own experience with overcoming disconnection. It is very simple. It is prayer.
Prayer enlarges my heart for others. I keep several prayer lists in my journal and I pray for the people on those lists on different days. Here’s what I have discovered.
When I pray for people, I develop a greater concern for them. Praying for family and friends makes them dearer to my heart. I’ll be honest; I am not always as warm toward people as I should be. But talking to God about them changes that. I can’t pray fervently for people and not care about them deeply.
When I pray for people, I am moved to initiate toward them. On many occasions, I have interrupted my praying to write myself a note in the Day-Timer to call and check on the person for whom I’m praying. Praying for them moved me toward them.
When I pray for people, I get over whatever issue is keeping me from connecting with them. In other words, I learn to forgive and extend grace to people when I pray for them. More often, I come to see that the problem was not theirs’ in the first place, but mine.
If you are serious about overcoming the problem of disconnection and about really connecting with others, I encourage you to pray regularly for Grace and for specific people. I believe you will experience the same heart growth I have.
Pastor Scott