Time to Pray

The experience of praying together with other believers has impacted my life in so many deep and meaningful ways.

Twenty years ago, I had the privilege of serving overseas in a middle-eastern country.  I worked at a home for boys along with two other young women who were my roommates.  You would have thought, since we were all there to love these children and serve Jesus, we would automatically be best friends.  We were not.  In fact, some days the greatest challenge was going back to our apartment and figuring out a way to get along.

Then, on what has become one of the darkest days of my life, we ‘accidentally’ uncovered a truly heinous system of abuse that was growing at the home.  I am not necessarily one to “feel” spiritual things, but I remember laying in my bed that night with every light in our apartment on, and feeling a darkness and oppression so heavy I could barely breathe.  I certainly did not sleep.  

The situation left us afraid and powerless.  So – we began to pray TOGETHER.  I can honestly say those times were some of the most beautiful moments in my life.  Yet, at the same time, I remember occasional evenings sitting in my room and thinking how much I did not want to pray with those ladies.  Then someone would have the courage to say “Time to pray” and we would drag ourselves to the living room.  On those nights, I am fairly certain I could hear the chains falling off our hearts as we came before the throne of grace together, seeking help in our time of need.  Prayer by prayer, moment by moment, we pushed back the enemy’s attacks on our unity and begged him to intervene in the lives of those young boys.  

We never became best friends exactly, but we became fellow warriors.  We were brought together by the cross of Christ and it was his grace and help that we sought as we labored together in prayer.  I am eternally grateful for such an experience.