"Pray By Name"

I am periodically asked how I remember all the people I am asked to pray for. Do I make a prayer list? Well, you may not like my answer. The fact is that I make no attempt to remember people’s names!! Before you throw a fit, albeit a holy fit filled with righteous indignation, I’m sure…let me explain. First of all, I believe the Bible when it tells us that God knows what we need before we pray it. So I tap into that. When it comes time to pray for others during my prayer-time, I first clear my mind. I’ve already asked the Holy Spirit to pray for me. That’s pray for me personally and pray for me in my stead (instead of me). I then relax and just let names come to my mind whenever they come; I don’t force them or try to remember them. They just come. That’s how I pray for you by name; your name just comes to me. Sometimes names like “Ethel” come to me too, and I may not even know an Ethel. That’s okay; I lift her up in prayer anyway. Again, I trust that the Lord knows who needs my prayer before I even start, even if I don’t know them. So, if an Ethel needs my prayer, I pray for Ethel. Do I ever miss praying for someone I should have? I’m sure I do but please remember that I have a prayer partner who remembers every name. The Holy Spirit, who is praying for me, won’t miss a single person I need to pray for!! So in that perspective, I never miss a name!!