Aglow prayer

. . . and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore . . . praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . . . (Ephesians 6:13-18).

. . . Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. . .  (Exodus 14:13)

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD . . . (II Chronicles 20:17)

And the list of scriptures goes on and on – scriptures that tell us that sometimes prayer is simply to stand.  There are those times when having the right words to say isn’t what we need.  That’s when the power of His Word alive in us becomes our greatest prayer.  That’s when having our identity secure in Christ brings an undeniable shift in the atmosphere around us.

May I tell you a rather unspiritual little story that illustrates this?  My husband was a high school football coach for many years.  I enjoyed going to the games to cheer his team to victory and console the losses.  I was in the stadium cheering for his team one night.  A very loud and rude man was stationed about 15 rows above me.  From the beginning of the game, he yelled offensively using very foul language – all criticisms aimed at my husband’s coaching.  I listened to this through the first quarter, the second quarter and the third quarter.  Each quarter, he grew louder and more vulgar until by the beginning of the fourth quarter, I had had enough!  I stood up.  I turned around.  And I looked at the man.  Then, I thought, “Nancy, what are you doing?!  He’s so out of control that he might come down here and punch you in the nose!”  I had no words to say to that man.  All I could do was stand and look at him.  As I stood and watched him, he became so angry and then confused that he nearly imploded.  He finally gave up, folded his arms, closed his mouth and never made another sound the remainder of the game.

What happened that night?  That man was out of order and out of control.  His behavior was clearly wrong and a violation to all of us around him.  I stood in the power of what was right.  I certainly didn’t stand in my own power – I was scared!  And I stood secure in my identity – I was the coach’s wife!  I never said a word; I just stood there.  What was the result?  There was an undeniable shift in the atmosphere in that stadium.

 So, words can be good in prayer.  But sometimes prayer is just standing.

Note from Nancy McDaniel:  To impact people around us, sometimes we need put some action to our prayers.  One way is by proclaiming the blessings of God and the Good News of the Gospel. 

Read how Barbara Potts, Maryland Aglow State Prayer Coordinator, is proclaiming God’s blessing:

I have always been a bit challenged at how to effectively share the Gospel in a natural, easy fashion.  That is, until some time ago when I began to respond with, “I am blessed” to anyone who asked me how I was.  This response not only honors God but it prophesies into my life the blessing of God.  I know this response was a prompting from the Holy Spirit, as I have watched how God has used it. 

A couple of months ago I had an encounter with an unsaved neighbor which has mushroomed into a ministry. This person is a widow, and a rather sad person who has not previously responded to witnessing.  She asked me how I was, and when I responded with “I am blessed,” I knew that she interpreted this to mean that I didn’t have any problems and that everything was perfect and good.  So, later when I got home the Lord impressed upon me to write to her and tell her why I am so blessed.  This is what I said:

      I would like to expand upon my response to your inquiry, “How are you?” When I said, “I am blessed,” it was not a reflection of my life circumstances, but rather of my eternal security. (There are, quite frankly, some very sad things going on in my life right now.) Years ago, when I said “yes” to Jesus and made Him the Lord of my life, He did not promise me a life of happiness and ease. But He did promise to never leave me or forsake me, to be my shield and defender, my strength in weakness, and my joy in the midst of sorrow. To the widow He is a husband, to the sick He is the Healer, to the discouraged He is Hope, to the lost He is the Savior. To all (whether they acknowledge Him or not) He is the One, True and Living God, the Almighty Creator of the Universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords. And He Who is all of this, knows my name and how many hairs I have on my head. Even before I was conceived in my mother’s womb, He saw me. And even though I am imperfect and was full of sin, He has forgiven me and crowned me with glory and honor. His magnanimous love compelled Him to leave His place of glory in heaven and be born into the world He created to suffer at the hands of evil men and become a sacrifice for my sin. His love transcends understanding. There is nothing I can do to make Him love me any more or any less than He already does. He has paid the price for my redemption and now desires to have a personal relationship with me here and for eternity. And so because of these things: I AM BLESSED beyond measure!! My prayer is that you would know this blessing too. You can, if only you would ask… Say “yes” to Jesus today and He will reveal Himself to you in ways you cannot imagine. He will heal your heart and comfort your soul. He will empower you to live an abundant life full of hope and victory. When you receive Him as your Lord and Savior, nothing can separate you from His Love. He is ready and wanting to do these things for you. But you must invite Him into your heart and life.   —   What have you got to lose?

Remembering the Christian movie, “The Grace Card,” I had the idea to format this testimony on a piece of paper that folds to the size of a business card.  I carry a bunch in my purse.  Whenever anyone asks me how I am, I tell them “I am blessed.”  Then when I hand them money for my transaction, or shake their hand, I give them the “card” and say, “This tells you why I am so blessed and how you can be too.”  I have found that even Christians are blessed by it because it lifts them above life’s circumstances and reminds them who they are.

What an easy way to share the love and Good News of the Gospel!

The following blog was contributed by Jessica Wilson, Prayer Office Administrative Assistant:

So the other day I’m checking out the fabulous view in the window of my Seattle apartment, and I am struck by the clouds. On this clear, SUNNY day in Seattle (I know, I know, but it does happen, praise the Lord!) I get a wonderful view of large white, fluffy, cumulus clouds. This great weather has been going on the last few days and when it does I find myself sitting on the couch, beverage in hand, watching the clouds go by. I like to sit for a few minutes and just relax as I watch the shapes come and go, and view the trees swaying gently in the breeze. But on this particular day, there was a glitch:

The clouds weren’t moving!

The trees branches were moving. I could feel the wind blowing. But the clouds were not! Still as still could be, I felt like Evie from “Out of This World” and wondered if I had touched my two index fingers together, and if it really did stop time. Alas, it turns out I do not have time-stopping super powers, and I soon realized what the problem was. (This is rather important you see- for it was very disturbing to see clear evidence of wind, but no movement in the clouds!)

The problem was my perspective. The clouds weren’t moving left to right, or right to left- because they weren’t being blown that way. The clouds were actually moving toward me. I was at such an angle that it simply appeared that the clouds weren’t moving at all, because that was the only way I was seeing things. It reminded me that sometimes, we simply need to reposition ourselves.

When you feel stuck – Oops – you probably don’t ever feel that way. Ok, so, when I feel stuck this is a good reminder for me to reposition. Get a different view on things. And usually, a great place to start is to get out of 1st person mode, and start focusing on some other people. (Of course God should always be our first focus, and if He isn’t I tend to find that’s the source of my feeling “stuck” in the first place…)

It’s just good to know that things are always moving. They’re never still, they’re always in motion. If you don’t know that, or can’t see that, you will start to feel stuck in your situation. So get out, and get some good (Bible-based) perspective. Where do you start? Cry out in prayer.  Jeremiah 33:2-3 He says, “This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name:  ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  God is in control and has great and awesome plans for your life.  Who better to position you and get you unstuck?