To the Summer of Prayer

May it be powerful!

At a recent Sunday service, our pastor said something that really resonated with me, “regardless of your opinion on the matter, it’s clear that people need prayer.”

And I think that sentiment can be applied to nearly every news story you might read, watch, or come across on social media.

So often we’re asked to take a side or shout an opinion, when sometimes what people need most is prayer. Every day people are facing the unexpected, the unbelievable and the seemingly unbearable. Every day people are asking, “What do I do? Where do I go? Why is this happening? Every day people are waking up in a world they don’t recognize, to problems that feel too big to overcome.

And while there are valuable resources to help those in need, ways in which we can offer support and serve, there is also the opportunity to pray.

“Thoughts and prayers” has become somewhat of a meme in the face of tragedy, as it feels empty, or like a band-aid put over a bullet hole. But that’s only true if it’s offered with no follow up, with no intention to actually pray—when it’s offered flippantly rather than genuinely.

Because I don’t know about you, but when someone tells me they will pray for me and I know they’re serious, when I know that they are going to take time out of their day to pray to the God of the universe for ME, it breaks something down in me. Whether it be fear, doubt, guardedness, bitterness, or anger. It makes me feel seen by God, and like the biggest prayers of my heart, the most unsolvable problems of my life, might actually be answered and fixed.

So while I understand the eye roll that might have been provoked by saying sometimes what people need most is prayer, know that I say that with intentionality, with the hope that they will tangibly feel God at work in their lives—that the healing and transformation that perhaps can’t be found anywhere else will start to take place.

That’s what the Summer of Prayer is all about.

It is a reaction to the pain I’ve seen both on my television and in my city, across the world and in my closest circles. Everyone needs prayer, and it is my hope that these prayers can break the strongholds of darkness and pain in those who need it most. That it can make those who feel invisible feel seen, and those who feel forgotten feel loved.

I want the person who is asking those questions—what do I do? Where do I go? Why is this happening? —to feel the way I’ve felt when people have prayed for me.

I want them to see God acting on their behalf and know that it’s because he loves them—that he always has—and that they are never alone.

I want this summer to be about prayer, and I want these prayers to be powerful.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:18

The Summer of Prayer series officially starts next week!

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