Monday, September 10, 2007

Words Say A Lot

I was read a statement by Stormie Omartian today. "I always told my prayer group that we shouldn't spend more time talking about our request than we do praying for them." Just think about that for a moment..... (if I had the music to Jeopardy I'd play it here)

How true do you find that statement. Do you take longer to explain your prayer request than you take praying for them? I know most of the groups I was in the past were that way.

Now that we are in the age of tech knowledge we started passing a notebook and each person writes a few sentences for their prayer request. Then one of us take the notebook home and emails the prayer requests. If we really need to know more we can ask privately but we better be willing to pray for them longer!

What it comes down to is we talk to much some times. How we explain things can be misleading and depressing too. People may say one thing but two people look at it differently. Recently in a prayer email I mentioned to everyone enjoy Autumn and all the beautiful changes God created. The leaves are so beautiful. If God can make a tree beautiful think what He how much more beautiful we are.

A friend emailed back he enjoys Autumn too but commented on how we enjoy Autumn and some people when they hear Autumn get depress and think of the trees and leaves dying.

Now that brings me to the friend who always write prayer request in the positive form no matter how grave the request. "Pray for Daddy he will soon be joining God in Heaven." Then you have the request from the person who writes the depressing request. "Pray for Daddy he is dying, doctor says it will be any day now, he is in terrible pain....."

Both prayer request are the same but one is depressing. If that is how the person talks when you are around them you will soon find your time with them depressing. But spending time with the positive person bring joy.

Our words say a lot.

Lord help me speak life into the situation and the people around me. Fill my heart each day with Your Holy Spirit so that Your love and goodness overflow from my heart and my mouth.

Proverbs 16:24
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Your Post was so true, Sandi.
I remember those years of Bible Study "Prayer Time"....those who said, too much.........or the dear person sharing a broken heart, when the "fixer" chimes in........
Years ago, The Lord had to change
my heart, too, about "Prayer Time"
.....Phil.1:9-11...