Dear Heavenly Father,
A friend came to me and asked if I had a moment to talk. She said something was on her heart, and she wanted to share it with me. When we talked, she confided that she had been struggling with something for a long time, and no one knew about it. She felt ashamed, but more pressing on her heart was the feeling of being alone in her shame and guilt, and not having a listening ear or someone to offer comfort and understanding. There are many people that we regularly interact with as we go about our daily lives. Sometimes they are hurting, and we might not ever suspect it. Heavenly Father, please help us to remember that at any moment, we may need to stand in the gap for a person in need and be a lifeline for them through prayer or by giving them Godly advice. It is possible that we are the only people in their lives that can help to connect them to You.
You tell us in James 5:16(NLT), “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” Every person living or that has ever lived has sinned. We have all fallen short of Your glory and knowing this should cause us to be compassionate and understanding towards others. But sometimes, we as Christians make it challenging for some people to feel comfortable confessing their sins to us, and we need to be better about this. We need to listen more and judge less.
You have given us the great privilege and honor to pray for one another. It is humbling to know that You entrust us with this sacred duty. And not only this, but You tell us that the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective. We can trust and believe Your Word to come to pass in the lives of others, and because You are pleased with us, You will bless the people we pray for. It is wonderful to know that we can stand in the gaps for those in need. We can make a difference not just in the lives of others, but we can make a difference in the entire world according to Your divine Will and Plan.
Through the Apostle Paul, You tell us in Philippians 2:13, (NLT), “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. 14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” Through the Lord Jesus Christ, we are the lights of the world. We have Your love in our hearts, and this love will draw people to us. We must be ready to minister to them.
It is important for us to make sure our attitude, conduct, and speech reflect Your goodness. This is what You expect from us, and we must be diligent about it, because we never know when someone is watching. There’s someone searching this very moment for a person they believe can be trusted, someone that can be a friend and comfort when they need it most. You have called us to stand in the gap for those that are not yet able to do it for themselves. Heavenly Father, please help us to realize that You’ve handpicked each of us, and we have something of great value to share with others. We can pray for them and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Help us so that we do not miss any opportunity to stand in the gap for those who need us, and to be the lights You desire us to be.
Thank You for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Please let Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Standing in the Gap for Those in Need”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.