I love working on, and teaching on Prayer Shields . Why? Well...I think they are a type of symbol of the Body. A group of people, working together on behalf of anothers benefit!
We don't always feel like we are personally getting something out of praying for someone else, but then, the Word tells us that if one part of the Body hurts, the whole Body hurts - so it goes to reason, that when one part of the Body gets healed, or breaks through or is able to rejoice again, that the whole Body must, somehow, someway, also be reaping the benefits! I love knowing I've been a part of team, who has helped 'dig someone else out' from under their circumstances or warfare! It's a great feeling.
In order to be a really good prayer shield tho, there are a number of things that have to working right - or 'fitly joined together'.
The first one is TRUST. A leader has got to trust us (his prayer people) with his requests - whether those requests are needs, wants or just issues happening in their life. They have to believe that all those things that effect 'them', are things that the prayer shield is willing and wanting, to pray for. The smallest details, are still prayer worthy!
I had one leader who's 16 year old daughter was going for her drivers license. He felt like it would be a mis-use of his prayer shield, to have us praying about his daughter, so he didn't mention it in his weekly prayer requests - not even under the 'family ' prayer needs. Well, his daughter failed her first attempt and was devastated ( like any normal 16 year old would be!). She signed up to try again, but was really nervous. "Mom" by this time was admitting that she had actually been happy the daughter had failed, as she was bit fearful about her driving on the roads and freeways. All of this never got mentioned, until the day before the second driver's test. When I heard about it....we put that detail on his prayer request....and let her know his prayer shield was praying for her. She passed! But more than that...I felt like we let a leader's child know that prayer shields are not just for their parent's ministry...it's for THEM - the family! That prayer people consider them important - that we WANT to pray for them.
Lately I've had to readjust a few of the prayer shields I oversee. One of the biggest problems is trying to get leaders to see that a prayer shield is not just to pray over their travel or ministry schedule. Yes...we do want to do that too, but we want to be more than that! And these are the people that a leader has said he/she feels confident in...secure with! If that's true, then use them for their full potential,and let them pray about what's important ! Anyone can pray over a schedule....but we want to be more than that!
I realise in writing that, that some people will be frustrated that while they do desire to be more for their pastor/leader, they are not being utilized that way. Well....you may have to realise that while you feel close to them, they may not feel close to you. There may be a trust issue that you need to be focusing on. I've found more leaders have been hurt by intercessors, and so they have painted us all with the same brush! Pray into what you're sensing. Pray into healing. Offer to be a part of redeeming that relationship - tell God you're willing to humble yourself and pray from a distance, until the leader senses that you ARE trustworthy, and truly desirous of serving - not of claiming a position with him, or knowledge of him/her!
Pray Shields are amazing. I love them. I love hearing pastors and leaders who do learn to work with their prayer shield, how much better they are doing and their families are doing. Prayer is powerful. Focused, intentional prayer, on behalf of a leader... .....well it's just bloomin' amazing!
We don't always feel like we are personally getting something out of praying for someone else, but then, the Word tells us that if one part of the Body hurts, the whole Body hurts - so it goes to reason, that when one part of the Body gets healed, or breaks through or is able to rejoice again, that the whole Body must, somehow, someway, also be reaping the benefits! I love knowing I've been a part of team, who has helped 'dig someone else out' from under their circumstances or warfare! It's a great feeling.
In order to be a really good prayer shield tho, there are a number of things that have to working right - or 'fitly joined together'.
The first one is TRUST. A leader has got to trust us (his prayer people) with his requests - whether those requests are needs, wants or just issues happening in their life. They have to believe that all those things that effect 'them', are things that the prayer shield is willing and wanting, to pray for. The smallest details, are still prayer worthy!
I had one leader who's 16 year old daughter was going for her drivers license. He felt like it would be a mis-use of his prayer shield, to have us praying about his daughter, so he didn't mention it in his weekly prayer requests - not even under the 'family ' prayer needs. Well, his daughter failed her first attempt and was devastated ( like any normal 16 year old would be!). She signed up to try again, but was really nervous. "Mom" by this time was admitting that she had actually been happy the daughter had failed, as she was bit fearful about her driving on the roads and freeways. All of this never got mentioned, until the day before the second driver's test. When I heard about it....we put that detail on his prayer request....and let her know his prayer shield was praying for her. She passed! But more than that...I felt like we let a leader's child know that prayer shields are not just for their parent's ministry...it's for THEM - the family! That prayer people consider them important - that we WANT to pray for them.
Lately I've had to readjust a few of the prayer shields I oversee. One of the biggest problems is trying to get leaders to see that a prayer shield is not just to pray over their travel or ministry schedule. Yes...we do want to do that too, but we want to be more than that! And these are the people that a leader has said he/she feels confident in...secure with! If that's true, then use them for their full potential,and let them pray about what's important ! Anyone can pray over a schedule....but we want to be more than that!
I realise in writing that, that some people will be frustrated that while they do desire to be more for their pastor/leader, they are not being utilized that way. Well....you may have to realise that while you feel close to them, they may not feel close to you. There may be a trust issue that you need to be focusing on. I've found more leaders have been hurt by intercessors, and so they have painted us all with the same brush! Pray into what you're sensing. Pray into healing. Offer to be a part of redeeming that relationship - tell God you're willing to humble yourself and pray from a distance, until the leader senses that you ARE trustworthy, and truly desirous of serving - not of claiming a position with him, or knowledge of him/her!
Pray Shields are amazing. I love them. I love hearing pastors and leaders who do learn to work with their prayer shield, how much better they are doing and their families are doing. Prayer is powerful. Focused, intentional prayer, on behalf of a leader... .....well it's just bloomin' amazing!
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