on the power of prayer

#superselfie

A gentle breeze blew through the open windows of my den while the scents of fall wafted through the air. Ten women gathered together on Tuesday evening, and we sought God. We asked Him to move in our hearts and to move in our city. We asked Him to show us how to love as He loved. And we thanked Him for all that He has done for us. 

Can I just say that I love women? I think that in these last few years, the Lord has shown me just how powerful it can be when women gather together to empower one another. There is already more than enough of women tearing each other apart. We do it when we compare and when we covet. We do it when we gossip and gloat. But God's way is different. He asks us to encourage and exhort. To love and to linger when things are hard. And oh, what can happen when we do these things. Chains can be broken. Lives can be transformed. Hearts can be healed.

On Tuesday evening, in over 250 places around the world, women gathered together in the name of Jesus. We went through four calls to prayer: 

a call to offer our gratitude

a call to pray for God's church and His people

a call to pray for the world

a call to pray for unity and love among for believers. 

The goal in this evening was that it be kept simple and pure. It was not super emotional, nor drawn out and exhaustive. It was just what God wanted, and it could very well be the catalyst for a great many things. I'm so encouraged by how the Lord brings together in ways only He can. He's just good like that, you know? 

Prayer does not always change things and make our situations just the way we want them to be. That's because the purpose of prayer is not about us. It's not about what we can get from God and how He can make our lives easier. Prayer is about us recognizing His sovereignty. It's a direct access to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And because we have that privilege, we ought to use it for His glory and ask expectantly, knowing that He's faithful and capable.