Peeking During Prayer

             She never opened her eyes to peek during prayer, but she had to know what was going on. As she looked around the auditorium, her fellow ministry staff leaders were all kneeling or sitting on the floor. Groups of people gathered around each ministry leader and laid their hands on them to pray.

            She had been looking forward to this time of prayer. The church where she worked was going through a rough time. The Lead Pastor resigned and the other staff members were worried about what would happen to the church and their jobs. As the only woman on staff she was seeking God on what she should do. Someone recommended that the church come together and pray for the staff and for direction. She needed people to pray for her so she would know what God wanted her to do.

            Yet, there she sat all alone. Not one person came to where she was and put their hands on her to pray for her. It wasn’t for a lack of people. Each of the other staff members had many people surrounding them and showering them with prayer and blessings for their ministries, their families and their lives.

            Why hadn’t anybody come over to lay their hands on her and pray for her? It was so odd. She instantly felt left out, unimportant, and broken-hearted that she was not included. She listened as the others were being prayed for.  Why God? Why had nobody come and prayed for me?

            After the prayer time was over, she left quickly. When she got home, she opened her Bible to start reading.

            “Lord, I really need a word from you. I am so discouraged and feel so alone. Please give me a word of encouragement.” She prayed.

            She knew better than to open the Bible and pick a random verse. Normally, she studied and read the Bible as a whole. However, this time she was desperate for a word from God.

            She opened her Bible and chose a verse. It was Jeremiah 15:17. The part that jumped off the page to her said,

“I sat alone because Your hand was on me.”

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            Isn’t it great that we can hear from God anytime we want, through the words He spoke in the Bible? The Bible is not an ordinary book filled with stories from thousands of years ago. The Bible is living and active and as applicable today as it was when it was written.

            God can speak to us any way He wants. He most often speaks to us through His written Word. He has given us principles to live by, stories of people with great faith, showed us how much He loved us with His plan for saving us, and has given us the faithful Holy Spirit, through which God never leaves us and is always guiding us, if we allow Him to.

            I hope you get to go to church today. Pastors across the globe will be sharing God’s Word and you don’t want to miss what He has to say to you.