The Other Side of Prayer

Prayer has many facets and many types, such as the prayer of thanksgiving, prayer of intercession, prayer of agreement, etc. There is one part of prayer that has only two sides, perhaps with more than one aspect to a side, but still having only two sides. We deal with different kinds of issues concerning one of the sides of prayer all the time, the praying side, and have in each of the Prayer Nuggets to this point. This month, however, it’s time to look at the other side of prayer, the doing side – doing what we pray about.

To help clarify this, I’ll share some examples from my own life. During the recent war in Lebanon and Israel, I was quite involved in praying and interceding. I was helped a great deal in knowing how to pray more precisely because I’m on the email list of a Messianic ministry in Israel, Maoz Israel, who reported daily without the media bias. Besides the loss of lives, there were tremendous financial losses suffered by many in Israel and Lebanon – not just their homes, but wages lost, jobs no longer there, etc. Christians in Israel are left out of much of the aid distribution when donations go through non-Christian agencies, due to the hostility of many orthodox Jews and the power they wield in the government. Because of this, Maoz Israel included in their daily updates that they had set up a fund to give a small sum of money to each Christian family that suffered such loss from this war. As I prayed for the people, I began to sense that I needed to put action with my prayer – whether in Lebanon or Israel. They need physical things, and I might just be part of the answer for their financial needs to be met.

The Lord is also showing me another aspect of this doing side of prayer. When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit last year, my husband and I joined many others in giving financially. In addition, I’ve prayed for the people in those areas. I’ve also prayed for people in other lands who need to hear the gospel. And I’ve prayed about the abortion laws in this nation, and the marriage amendment, etc. In some cases, I’ve given financially, too. But maybe, just maybe, the Lord would have me go beyond the “easy” step of praying, and beyond the “easy” step of giving money or goods. Maybe, just maybe, He would have me be the physical answer to the very prayer I am praying. After all, someone has to continue going to the Gulf Coast area to help rebuild homes, churches, and lives. Why not me? Someone has to speak out to our elected officials at all levels concerning the truth about abortion and what the Bible has to say about it or marriage, and the effects of current or proposed laws on our nation. Why not me? Someone has to go to those other lands, or maybe just into the neighborhood, to tell them the good news of Jesus Christ. When I pray for laborers to go into those harvest fields, could it be me I’m praying for?

The important thing in either side of prayer, or in anything else we do, is to be led by the Spirit of God. When I pray, no matter what it concerns, I must seek the Lord for what part I am to play – every time. The prayer side will always be involved, but sometimes He will also call me to the doing side, so that I am part of the physical answer, as well. I must make sure my heart is willing when I come before Him, so that I will respond as Isaiah did:

Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” KJV

© Copyright 2006 Kay V. Stocking