Some days I can safely say that I am not my best self, and on those days prayer makes all the difference.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. – 1 John 5:14 (NIV)
If you are a part of Zion Family you likely will know that part of the calling for our people, and for our Hub, is to be known as a place of prayer. Our leadership has heard this call and risen to the occasion, providing encouragement, support, and creating space for prayer to happen.
Every week there are opportunities to pray. We pray online, we pray before our services, we pray in our staff team meeting, we have a confidential prayer group for people who request prayer, we have monthly prayer in person at the Hub, and coming up we have our Night Watch 12 hour prayer vigil. All of these are opportunities for you to join your voice with others while speaking with God, and the cherry on the cake is that there have been some beautiful words of prophecy that have been both given and received by people who have attended. Words of affirmation, confirmation, encouragement, and acknowledgement.
Despite knowing the indisputable benefits of prayer, there are times that joining prayer is like trying to pull my body through drying concrete. Prior to prayer meetings I can assure you that my brain manages to manufacture every reason available to not take part. But recently I noticed something. When I take part in prayer, whether its in person or online, whether there are lots of people or just myself and one other prayer warrior, afterwards I feel better. I can be having the worst day imaginable and the prayer meeting is like solid ground preventing the downward spiral.
Interestingly, every single time I’ve felt better, not one moment was spent praying for myself. Instead, as I have immersed myself with others in the Bible, praying through the verses, praying for ZION, Te Awamutu, Waipa, New Zealand, and the world, I have felt a weight lift. Sometimes I have wanted to cry for no apparent reason, sometimes laugh, but without fail I have been glad I joined in prayer.
Once I noticed the difference between my before and after, I was able to acknowledge one big thing, I feel better after I pray corporately. And so, whenever I don’t feel like attending, particularly if my mood is low, I remind myself that I always feel better after prayer, because prayer makes all the difference, and if it makes the difference for me, maybe, just maybe, it will make all the difference for you too.
Karla Rose