Sometimes these prayers come in our deepest glooms; other times these requests come during the glorious highs in life. Yet, during times of restoration and renewal the desire to pray can be repressed. Rather than trusting and turning to God, we hide our brokenness and weaknesses, but we trend away from our faith at the same time. This simultaneous straying can cause a systematic failure that causes separation from our ability to give thanks in all circumstances and rejoice always.
With this struggle for direction, it is important to find a brother, or sister, in Christ to join you in your search (Galatians 6:2). While the burden Christ gives is not impossible to get out from under, and should be light, it can be difficult to escape if we, as Christians, cannot share our struggles with others, without fear. In my first year at Shippensburg, our McLaugle Men's Cell Group was encouraged to find an accountability partner. We were asked to bond with this individual and to join in responsibility for one another. Each of us were to remind the other of need for fellowship, friendship, and faithfulness to God, while having each others back in any circumstances, but especially through prayer. These prayer partnerships must not come with shame, but rather with peace and purpose.
Fellowshipping with a brother in need is helpful, but coming together in unison can bring restoration, renewal, and revelation. Recently, I joined in an intense week a prayerfulness with a distant friend from Georgia. Because of the personal requests that Amy Sickles kept sharing with me, and my desire to assist, we decided to do a week of fasting and praying over the lunch hour. We decided to daily share the encouragements/inspirations/songs/scripture that we would receive during the hour or so of prayer. Although we were praying together whilst separated, each day it was more intense and fulfilling.
The first day of our prayer-fast Amy sent me a powerful scripture that set the tone for the week. In Isaiah 8:11-22, the prophet shares the need for people to test the encouragement of others against the truth of God's Word and it also warns of actions that can occur if one does not turn to God, especially during times of worry. This went along with my verses from Matthew 6, where Jesus spoke about not worrying but rather trusting in God...basically the core answer to the request we had brought to God. Amy was thinking of shifting her major and direction at her Christian college and other things, whist being concerned about the future. I was searching for my worthiness in my work for God (which was answered when I started teaching Sunday School to the 3rd-6th graders at Mowersville) and trying to find peace in a decision. Our hope in Christ became more unshakeable each day we prayed and fasted.
Each day more peace and direction was delivered in songs and scripture that allowed us to come to a wonderful conclusion about our prayer partnership. It was an amazing experience and increased my passion for serving others through allowing God to be my awe-inspired director and having the Holy Spirit be my guide. Not just in a superficial façade, but rather in a responsible, reflective way, showing that my strength is not my own, but rather it comes from Him being in control. Amy received many answers to her petitions, while still having some specific questions to be answered. She did receive an overarching answer that shows that a purposeful prayer partnership yields positive results, and enhances our personal relationship with God, but it CANNOT replace it but any means: "Don't put your trust in men, trust Me [God]. Come to Me. Take refuge in Me." This wondrous message sounds like the conclusion that David came to many times within the Psalms. We both realized the importance of our prayerful partnership and upholding each other spiritually, despite our physical separation.
While she has since changed her major and made decisions about her future, we still share in this partnership, just not as intensely. I have been awaked to the need for trusting others with my struggles and burdens, despite my difficulty of being open about my "issues and problems" (aka fears). Being ferociously fearless also means being open and vulnerable in all situations, in spite of how exposed we may feel. However, if our fellowship with others is clouded by mistrust, ask God to bring a mentor, friend, and/or prayer partner into your life. Allow Him to nurture that trust, build it, and cause it to grow...it is an amazing feeling. I know, because there is a small emptiness in my heart when I have not communicated with Amy in a while. In His omnipotence, God will help us to find that person that can be our partner, because we all need a close fellowship with other believers. I am privileged to have someone that I can trust with highly guarded requests; it is making it easier to embrace my desire to be proactively real with God. I have also noticed changes in my pursuit of my personal life resolutions.
This purposeful partnership has almost forced me to address my statements of resolve from the beginning of the year. Over the past month, I have surely begun to share more expressively and be more straightforward. When asking Amy to pray for a request, I have to be willing to open my heart and share what is on my mind, not in words of cheap expression, but rather in specific terms. I need to directly share what is on my conscience, or it will be difficult for us to pray for each other. While we are still praying from a distance, I am hoping to soon close that gap with the use of Skype over the Internets...which will be a very interesting experience, when it finally occurs. The best result is that I now pray with more positive expectations. My expectations are more for Amy's requests, because I have seen her succeed, and because of that I have trusted more in the fullness of God, who sustains those who serve Him and obey his commands. (Obviously, I need to see results...smh.) I just can't wait to see how integrating this personal approach will help others as well. Feeling the Glory of God while supported by another believer is a blessing that has caused spiritual growth in my life...try it!
Joeyb
P.S. A special thanks to Amy Sickles for allowing me to share part of her personal life.
