When you ask me to pray

When you ask me to pray for you I may do a number of things.

I might ask what you’d like me to pray for. That’s for your benefit. I rarely do that unless it’s catastrophic, and if I can see you’re at your breaking point I’ll pray right then with your hands in mine, with my arms embracing you or maybe on my knees at your feet.

It depends on how the Spirit instructs me.

When you ask me to pray I usually ask the Lord to bring your name to my remembrance for the future, especially if it is our first meeting. 

Then I ask Him to add your name to my tribe.

Yes I have a prayer tribe. Remember the stones on Aaron’s breastplate? Four rows of three each to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Exodus 28. And when they went into the temple once a year to pray, to minister, they wore that same apparel and presented the representative stones so that each tribal head and member was brought before God.

You become a member of my tribe and your name is then included whenever I’m in the presence of the Lord. That’s what I really want. So that every time I’m in prayer mode, so are you. Every time I think of heaven and the gift of the Holy Spirit, you’re right there in the middle. Every time I burst into praise you’re in the midst when the Lord comes down to inhabit my praise. Every time my spirit rises in worship you rise with me and benefit from the cloud of God’s overwhelming presence.

When you ask me to pray for you.

I’m delighted to add you to my tribe. I’m delighted to know that every time God makes me smile in remembrance that I’m his beloved child, you have the same smile, or at least the blessing of it, even if you’re unaware.

Every time I break out into Holy Ghost laughter, you get the jogging points.

Every time I break out into dance, you reap the harvest of my body’s offering to the Father I love so much.

Do you know what the enemy hates?

He hates the joy of the Lord. It gives us strength. Nehemiah 8:10

He hates Holy Ghost laughter. Merriment. A merry heart does good like medicine. Proverbs 17:22

He hates music. He has ever since he got kicked out of heaven.

He hates praise. Because the Lord inhabits our praise. Psalm 22:3

He hates worship. He hates when his compadres are scattered.

You know when we go up into the heavenlies with our praise, the spirits in the air have to move higher to get away from the power of God on us and in us.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

When we go up, they have to go up higher and scatter themselves away from the confusion and distraction God’s power and presence visits on them. They get discombobulated and are unable to accomplish the destruction and mayhem to which they were assigned in our lives. Assignment cancelled. Surgery cancelled. Tumor cannot be located. Mortgage purchased. Job offered. Marriage reconciled. Mind restored. Peace restored. Time redeemed. Relationships rebuilt. 

So when you ask me to pray for you, I take it seriously. One because I would not sin against God by neglecting to pray for you. And secondly, it gives me great joy to have a part in heaven’s victory in your life.

So when you ask me to pray for you, I get to myself, most of the time. Not always. I may just turn to the inner altar.

I keep my foot when I go before the Lord. I’m not hasty to speak and throw petitions toward the Lord. No. I quiet myself. I comfort myself. I go to a special place if I’m home. If not, I find comfort wherever I find myself.

And I search for the Spirit to see where he is and what I’m to do in that particular prayer time. Talk? Listen? Read the word? Grab the hymnal? Sing a song? Do a dance? Go for a walk?

Whatever it is, I’m going to obey. It is my joy to obey. It is my joy to be in the presence of the Lord. It is my joy to enlarge my tribal territory. It is my joy to know God is more present in every aspect of your life.

God bless you!!!