It's hard to know how to pray sometimes. I remember a time when I could NOT pray publicly - at ALL. And my silent prayers were sort of sad. I like to be specific when I pray and if I am praying for others - salvation, sanctification, healing, deliverance - I like to use specific words here, too.
I'll make a long story short. We are having a prayer revival this week. Only small groups are meeting at the church, homes, or wherever. What are we praying for? We don't know. We are letting God lead the prayers. Last night, my small group had a burden for families and individuals in our church in trouble, pain, in grief, in fear, and/or out of the will of God, and more. We prayed individually and corporately for them.
The pastor said to listen to the prayers of others and the Holy Spirit may spur something in us to pray there or at home. Well, last night in my group - it happened to me. I heard the words of someone else that MOVED me in incorporate into my own prayers.
I already use the word mercy a lot. I have since last summer when I begged God for mercy on my family and he gave it 110%. I don't use that word lightly anymore and use it for others a lot now.
Why don't we start a list of words or phrases that are meaningful to us and maybe we could inspire each other on what to pray for and how to pray for it.
Here's my initial list. Please list some of your words of prayer and let's help each other.
1. I ask for mercy, hedges of protection, and deliverance for people/my family a lot.
2. Last night in prayer group, someone ask for "conviction of sin and victory over evil" for a family experiencing a bad time due to sin. There's a phrase I'm going to use, too, now. "Conviction AND victory".
Do you have some prayer phrases that you feel gets to the heart of the matter and that God hears?