“The act of praying for others has a boomerang effect. It allows us to shift the burden we carry for others to the shoulders of God. . . . Impossible burdens are made bearable because we pray about them. . . . Don’t let the difficulties of life suck you under. Give them to God before they get to you.”- Max Lucado
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”- 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
Max Lucado concludes Chapter 6 of How Happiness Happens with the story of renowned brain surgeon Dr. Eban Alexander. On November 10,2008, Dr. Alexander’s brain began to fail him. Five hours later, his eyes rolled back in his head and he lapsed into a coma. And the diagnosis? A rare form of E. coli meningitis. So rare, in fact, that less than one in ten million adults contract this disease each year. Of those who contract the disease, over 90 percent die.
Furthermore, Pastor Lucado observes, Dr. Alexander wasn’t a spiritual man. However, while in the coma, he realized countless beings kneeling around him. Because his family and friends gathered at the hospital to pray for him. Three days after the coma began, the family called in the pastor of their church. After a final wave of urgent prayers began, the prayers started to break through.
So, Pastor Lucado asks, is prayer all you have? Well, he responds, prayer = all you need. In addition, intercessory prayer activates happiness like nothing else. Above all, your heavenly Father hears you, because you are:
- His child. Therefore, you come to your Father as an heir to the promise, not as a stranger. You come to Him as a child in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, not as an interloper.
- His ambassador. A king’s ambassador represents him, speaking with the authority of the throne. Also, he carries the king’s imprimatur. So if we, as God’s ambassadors, present a request to the King, He’ll listen.
Finally, Max exhorts:
“We can do much after we pray, but we can do nothing until we pray. Before we serve, before we teach, before we encourage, we pray. Our calling is to be an Abraham on behalf of the people in our world. Place yourself between them and God, and speak up. Be assured, he will listen.”
Today’s question: How have you felt the boomerang effect of praying for others? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Quiet servants – the supporting cast”
