We Do Pray For You
by Ted Slater on 03/26/2008 at 9:42 AM
Sara W. handed me another prayer request today, this time just a one-page print-out of an e-mail.
It was from a man who's going through some trials, including financial and business-related problems. He confessed that the difficulties may be intended by God to grow his faith, or they may be more diabolical. He's thankful for a "wonderful understanding wife," and asks us to pray for him and those he's working with.
And so I take a minute or two, push my chair away from my desk, close my eyes, and pray to the Lord for this man.
This isn't unusual. Sara gives me one or two prayer requests every week. From a mother who's concerned about her wayward daughter; from a single man struggling with a decision about college; from a grandfather whose daughter's marriage is on the ropes; from a wife whose husband is an unrepentant pornography user. And I take all of their prayer requests seriously. Because those asking us to pray for them take it seriously. And because God does as well.
And I'm not the only one receiving prayer requests from friends of Focus on the Family. Motte does. Steve does. Suzanne Does. Denise does. Tom does. Hundreds of us Focus on the Family employees receive these prayer requests every day, and every day we quietly take them to the Lord in prayer.
If you need a friend to come alongside you in prayer, feel free to let us know how we can pray. The sheets each employee receives include no personally identifying information, so you're assured that it's entirely confidential. And you can also be assured that we don't place them in a box and merely lay hands on the thousands of heart-felt requests for intercession, as I understand some busy ministries have done. We care enough to personally do something about each one.
Go here to let us know how we can pray for you. Personally.
1. Rachael said the following at 9:52 AM on Mar 26:
That's wonderful that you guys do that! Thank you for praying for people! Just the other night I was with people who shared how they felt God was working in their lives. One gal mentioned prayer -- I guess people (like maybe friends of friends...) will pop up into her mind. How neat that she seems to have developped a more organic (don't believe she used this word) view of prayer. Inspirational.
2. Rachael said the following at 9:55 AM on Mar 26:
P.S. In case people are interested, one thing people can do is to send out an e-mail to a group of people and invite them to send you their requests. I know it might sound weird, but I tried this once and did get responses. Everyone has stuff going on in their own worlds, and you never know when someone might appreciate an extra prayer.
3. Andrea said the following at 10:59 AM on Mar 26:
Hey, I just wanted to say thank you for praying for us when we ask you to. There's something that I wanted you to pray about for me -- please pray that I will stay strong in my faith and that I'll trust God with my future.
4. DannieA said the following at 11:55 AM on Mar 26:
Thanks for letting us know this! Have a good day
5. Andrew R. (aka Canadian Boy) said the following at 12:17 PM on Mar 26:
And this is one of the reasons you guys rock.
6. Nick said the following at 1:30 PM on Mar 26:
Thank you! =)
Do you guys have a place to post prayer requests so we can be praying for you guys?
7. Jo said the following at 2:23 PM on Mar 26:
I didn't know you did this. Wouldn't it be great if there was somewhere here to post prayer requests so we could all pray for each other?
I'm in hospital at the moment, having a course of intravenous antibiotics 'cause my lung function has been up and down recently (I have cystic fibrosis as I've mentioned before), so if anyone feels like praying that the IVs will sort me out for a long while and God will continue to keep me as well as he has up 'til now, I'd really appreciate that. :)
8. Heidi said the following at 4:14 PM on Mar 26:
Thanks for letting us know. A quick note I found humorous was the way this entry appears on the main page: "If you ask us to pray for you, we do. MORE" :D
9. Tami said the following at 6:09 PM on Mar 26:
Does your ministry have a time set aside for corporate prayer? That's one thing I would really love to have, if I worked for a Christian organization. :)
10. Fred Walker said the following at 7:58 PM on Mar 26:
It's good to know that you guys care, thanks and keep it up.
P.S. I'm sure you have your own prayer networks but I agree with Nick, let us know if you want us to pray for anything for yourselves.
11. Colin Pedicini said the following at 10:33 PM on Mar 26:
Sorry to hijack the thread, but I'm trying to submit a request but it says my emails are already in the database when I submit. I've tried them all. (I'm not registered with a FOTF site yet.)
What should I try next?
12. Suzanne said the following at 11:44 PM on Mar 27:
Praying for you, Jo. I hope that the treatments are both successful and painless for you. I pray peace for you, and hope. And I pray that you will know with certainty that God is there, and that His people are gathered round as well, interceding for you too.
You are loved.
13. Jo said the following at 9:02 AM on Mar 31:
Suzanne: thank you. :)
14. Sharon said the following at 6:16 PM on Dec 15:
Please pray for my daughters Mother in Law, Jan, as she has cancer and had a lung removed in September and now it has gone to her brain. Please pray for a miracle for her to be healed. As we know all things are possible through our Lord and Savior. Thank you so very much.