Around these parts, every Monday during the month of November, I invite a special guest to share, and we focus on a new chapter in When More is Not Enough.
I can think of no one better than Amelia Rhodes to kick-off our discussion about being generous with prayer. Why Amelia? Well, besides the fact that Amelia is from Michigan (one of my all-time favorite places), she also wrote a fantabulous book, and she made prayer cards which she happens to be giving away for FREE (hello, we are talking about prayer, and Amelia made prayer cards, get the connection?). Not to mention, Amelia doesn’t hold a grudge against a girl who accidently walks right by her after Amelia reapeatedly states, “Amy, Amy, Amy!”
Um, yeah. So, that means she’s nice too.
Here’s Amelia.
Whenever a friend asks me to pray for them, I always say yes. I mean, really, what kind of friend would I be if I said no? My heart desires to be generous with prayer, always.
But can I confess something? Sometimes, I feel completely overwhelmed by the needs around me. Another friend calls to share a cancer diagnosis. Another marriage in dire trouble. Another struggle with a child. At times, it seems I could pray all day long and still not cover all the needs.
Sometimes I just don’t know where to begin. Many, many times, I have sat on the floor in my bedroom with an aching heart and just said, “God, so much hurt! Please help us all!”
As Paul Miller says in his book The Praying Life, “A needy heart is a praying heart. Dependency is the heartbeat of prayer.” I knew I needed God, but I just didn’t always know how to practically go about praying.
A few weeks ago, I was praying for a few friends who are going through adoption, and I thought: “A is for adoption, C is for Cancer, F is for Foster Families.” Before long, I had an A to Z prayer list covering Adoption to Zero Prejudice, and everything in between.
I made cards for each letter and started adding people to each card to pray for. Something about organizing my prayer life this way “clicked.” I no longer felt overwhelmed. In fact, I found I was praying for more situations and more people than ever before.
I think it’s a tool you might enjoy using too. So, I’ve made them available as a free download. You can get your own Pray A to Z cards here. (Aren’t they pretty? My hubby designed them!)
Then I took the idea one step further and asked friends, writers, counselors, even a police officer, if they might share their stories with us. I’ve never been through infertility or been a law officer, but when those who have those experiences share their stories with me, I better know how to pray for and encourage others in those situations.
I will be sharing these stories every Monday and Thursday through the end of this year on my blog at www.ameliarhodes.com. I would love to have you join us as we Pray A to Z for our communities. Once the series is complete, I will offer all the stories together in a free PDF for you to keep and refer back to as you pray.
Let’s be generous with our prayer and rally people to pray for our communities and the issues facing us all. Let’s ask God to breathe new life into our communities and show us how to love those who surround us every day.
Download your Pray A to Z cards, and join us in bringing the needs of our communities to the Father. You can also join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #PrayAtoZ. I would love to hear how God is inspiring you to pray for your community!
Amelia Rhodes lives in West Michigan with her husband and two children. She loves coffee breaks with friends and has a passion for encouraging women to share an authentic life together. Her first book, Isn’t it Time for a Coffee Break? offers women of all ages a fresh perspective on relationships.
Connect with Amelia at www.ameliarhodes.com Twitter: @amrhodes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ameliarhodeswriter