I hate open heights! I can’t stand balconies, glass elevators freak me out, and when I am driving across a bridge, you’ll find me hugging the dividing rail along the inside lane.
Some friends tried to help me conquer these fears by inviting our family to join them one Sunday afternoon at Inner Peaks Climbing Center. I cringed at the thought of it, but JJ and our boys really wanted to go. So I caved in and agreed to a family “outing” inside this huge rock-climbing center.
When we entered the doors, my heart stopped beating as I look up at the highest peak – 25 feet! The instructors assured me that a web of ropes, harnesses and carabiners would hold me tight. Before I could say “no thank you,” I was strapped in and signing an injury waiver. I played it safe and stayed on the lower peaks.
Towards the end of the day, our friends John and Laura challenged their eight-year-old son Steven to climb to the highest peak – promising $5 in tokens and a cone of ice cream at arcade next door if he would touch the bar at the top.
Steven was afraid of heights, too, but he loved a dare. The promise of reward, mixed with the challenge and faith of his father evoked courage in Steven.
I watched with admiration as that little guy started the climb with confidence. He made it to 15 feet, then 20. But as he inched past the next face of the wall, he saw just how far he had to go before reaching the bar at the top. In fear, he looked down with tears and said he couldn’t do it. Then he cried out for his daddy’s help.
By this time, John was holding their very tired 3 yr old, and Laura was feeding their very hungry baby girl. I don’t know where my brave husband was, but as I looked around I realized I was the only one standing there who could do something.
Suddenly courage and strength surged through my body. I called out to Steven, “Don’t give up buddy. Wait for me to come to you. You can do it. I’ll help you!”
I said a quick prayer that God would help me and that Steven wouldn’t give up and start repelling his way down before I got to him. In no time, I reached the 20 foot marker. I crossed over the peak and up beside Steven to encourage him, reminding him of how far he’d come. Using my words and my confidence I focused his thoughts towards a higher goal, an inner peak, a reward that would be much greater than ice cream and game tokens – the reward of getting to a placehe had stopped believing he could reach.
My fear was gone. I had stopped thinking about me long enough to focus on helping someone else reach their goal and overcome their fear. Strangely enough, in that moment I overcame mine, and reached a peak of my own.
I became the response of a child’s cry for his father’s help. And that day became a picture of what happens when friends pray for and encourage one another. Like Jesus, we come alongside each other in some of life’s hardest challenges and highest peaks and we say, “Don’t give up, you can do it. Wait for me. I’ll help you.”
In that moment we take our eyes off our fears, our doubts, our struggles and set them on someone else’s needs. There we find faith to believe the power of God’s Word for them, and somehow our confidence in God’s promises and power are true for us in a way they may never have been before. That is the power of a praying friend!
Today, I invite you to join me in a conversation with God and some girlfriends so that we can experience what happens when women pray – for each other. This is your chance to share a request (a need, a hope, a desire) that you want someone to pray for you for this week. In return, you will pray for one person for the next week, too.
And because I love to share with friends books that draw me closer to Jesus, those who participate in our “conversation with God” will be part of a drawing next week for a new book called “Dear Jesus.” It is filled with devotions and scriptures that capture the heart of God’s response to every woman’s longings and intimate struggles.
Here’s how we’ll do this:
Click the word “Comments” below my name on this post (just under the 2nd green box).
Type in your prayer request in the white box.
Include your first name and where you are from.
(If you don’t have a blogger account, you can sign in as anonymous. But please include your first name at the end.) After type your request, click enter. Your comment will post.
Read the prayer request/comment above yours and pray for that friend.
Copy and paste it in an email to yourself as a reminder to pray for your new friend throughout the week.
On Monday, I’ll post about the power of praying God’s Word and share some of my favorite scripture prayers. Wouldn’t it be neat to find a Bible verse to pray for our prayer partner and post it in Monday’s comments? I’ll share how to do that.
There were two people in blessed in my story. But I never would have experienced what God had for me to give or receive that day if Steven hadn’t asked for help. I pray you will experience the power of a praying friend by promising to be one and allowing someone else to be one for you today. Be sure to click “comments” just below this box so that others see your prayer request and you find the request you are to pray for, too.
© 2008 by Renee Swope. All rights reserved.
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Jennifer,
I will be praying fervently. What a blessing that you can confidently state how wonderful your husband is! I will be praying that God will show me a verse for you and I am looking forward to sharing that with you. May God bring you comfort and His peace that is not the peace of this world, but a peace that passes all understanding.
Glory to God,
Tara
http://tabletwenty.blogspot.com
Heidi,
I lived in San Diego almost all my life, although I now live in the Palm Springs area. Feel free to email me and I would be happy to help you locate a church. SD is huge, so be sure and let me know a particular neighborhood or area.
Many blessings to you!
Tara
[email protected]
My prayer request is to find a new job. Mine will end August 2. I have three children and a spouse at home, we need the second income.
I have had interviews and am praying the job at Uath Valley Unniversity comes through-
Whichever job offers opens up I pray for peace of heart and wisdom
Thanks,
Jo Anne
Indiana
Hi my name is Jennifer McKinnon. I’ve been receiving Proverbs 31 Ministries daily devotions by email for a couple of years, then I found your website. I want to thank you because it has been such a blessing in my life. My prayer request is for our garden center/ landscaping business. We opened up a garden center this spring as an expansion of our landscaping business. We grow all of our own annuals and some trees and shrubs. I’m asking for blessings on this business. I’m praying for us to get to winter without any debt. The bills are never ending. Last winter we went through winter with no savings and carried over debt from the year before. God brought us through that extremely stressful season, but it was so hard. Our goal for this year is to somehow have all of our debt paid off before the season ends with a little in a savings acoount to pay for our mortagage, utility bills and school tuition through our dry months. My husband plows snow through the winter and works nonstop around our farm, but there’s no guareentee that we will even have snow… We have so far had a pretty spring and summer year, but there is always a tax due for this and payroll hits just when all of the other bills hit and there is alway a shortage on funds to pay everything. I’m just asking for wisdom to pay everyhting and for God to continue to provide us with customers and jobs. My husband works fo hard, nonstop really. I have never known anyone before that gives everything he does 110%. He is a little nervous about winter. I want him to see that all of his hard work is worth it. He takes such good care of us. He such an amazing husband and father. I just want to make enough to pay all of our business bills plus all the taxes that go along with it. I would really really appreciate your prayers.
Thank You
Jennifer McKinnon
Amy I will be praying for you and the ones you work with to make the right decisions.
I work with children from broken/abusive homes. I know your feelings for your niece. I will be praying for you, her and the mother. The mother needs God in her life. I will pray for that also.
My marriage and for my husbands buisness.
Lisa Albany,Ga.
I ask you pray for me not to be so critical of other people. I don’t say things to people but the thoughts are there and that is just as bad.
Cynthia
Cherokee, Texas
Sarah, wow! you used the right word for sure….’incredible process’…. i will be saying a special prayer for your brother and his birth mother. 🙂
I myself need prayer as i start a new chapter in my life. yesterday i had my official last day (of 6 years)at a wonderful job with wonderful friends/coworkers. i am picking up and moving across the country to start a new job and journey. i know that the Lord is always by my side ….but i am making this move all on my own… i’m asking for prayers of safe travel, success in my new job and for God’s guidance to build relationships with the right people in my new surroundings…..oh and to find a wonderful Chruch home when i get there. 🙂 God has led me to this new chapter and I am so excited to see what He has in store for me! Thanks!
Heidi of Fort Lauderdale, Fl…..soon to be San Diego, California!
Please pray for me to have wisdom in dealing with a secretary who is making big mistakes & taking advantage of us. We have been to nice and let her get away with things but need to confront her now. I also have a 16yr old niece with us for the summer and does not want to return home to her abusive mother. Need the mom to sign her over to us.
Thanks…Amy
I have just found your website and wanted to say “WOW” and PTL for fellow believers. Just love it.
One year ago I joined a church after visiting one service. The congregation is amazing, very loving and supportive. I immediately become very involved in choir, prayer teams, teaching children’s Sunday School class, and singing solos. Without any warning, I began going through a deep depression which basically kept me totally withdrawn for two months. I am now back at church but still experience fear and anxiety. Please pray that I will continue to be totally dependent of the Holy Spirit to guide me in what ministries to be involved in. My confidence and self-esteem is also under attack. I have had to quit most of my duties at church which bothers me more than I’d like to admit.
Maybe I was over committed but I was enjoying being active. My friends tell me to choose one or two areas so thats what I’m trying to choose.
Thank you for your willingness to lift my concerns heavenward. Mary
Please pray that my husband will find God-centered, gainful employment soon. He has been out of work since November and he is feeling quite defeated at this time.
Pray that our family’s faith will remain strong and that we continue to trust in Him each day to deliver us through this situation. We pray that my husband will find a job that he will glorify Him through.
Thank you so much for your prayerful support. I will pray for each of you also.
There is true strength and power in prayer.
Praise God.
This is a great idea renee!
please pray for God to bring into my life a wonderful friend who will be influential in my life. Also, I would appreciate prayer for direction/guidance for my future and to know clearly what God wants me to do next. Thanks, Anne
I’m so happy to pray for others yet so hesitant to ask for prayer for myself, just like you spoke about in your devotional yesterday. Thank you Renee for sharing and for providing this opportunity to pray and be prayed for. It is 7am Sat here in Phoenix,AZ. We have been traveling on and off with my husband’s job for almost 2 years. My prayer request is that God would keep us in the center of His Will wrt to this job. Please pray for God’s blessings to be upon my husband, this company, his work relationships and travel mercies for the children and I.
May you experience His Presence today!
Loretta
Please pray for our 7 year old son. Last August I remarried and we moved 10 hours away from where his biological dad lives. This is the first time our son has ever been away from us this long (all summer) and it’s been very hard on all of us. His biological dad will not let him return home early even though our son has begged me a couple of times on the phone to bring him home. It tears my heart out and I feel so helpless.
Thank you for your prayers.
Patricia, Tampa Fl
Dear Bonnelle, I would be honored to pray for the healing of Tammy’s son and that God will be praised through this miracle. I will also pray that God will give you wisdom and understanding as you look to the future and what God wants of you. I know that He will make his way plain to you. I will also pray that you will be able to pickup the information quickly for the test so that you can spend time with your family. Sister in Christ, Judy
My prayer request is for Michelle Slaughter, a woman who works for me. Through various circumstances she has been evicted from her home (by her mother) with her two preschool children. She only works for me part-time, so her finances are minimal. Her husband (whom she is separated from) is waiting to go to prison. And she is a new believer in Christ. I am searching for a church in the community in which she lives for help both spiritually and physically. Thank you for your prayers! Judy
I have two requests:
1) Please pray for my friend Tammy who’s son has cancer. Pray for the peace of God which passes all understanding to guard their hearts and their minds and that healing would come to his body so that all the world would know that God is still in the business of healing!
2) I am seeking the Lord for direction with my job. I would like forward movement in whatever way He chooses. I love the people I work with but am feeling there’s more… that there is a next step He would have me take. Please pray for His wisdom as I study for an extremely hard test I will be taking (also for work) and that I can still make time for my family in the midst of the process.
Many, many blessings to all of you.
Love,
Bonnelle
Please pray for my husband- he struggles with depression and his job is really stressful right now. Please pray that I can be a supportive wife and keep him in prayer-I get frustrated with him too easily and give up.
Kim from Holly Springs NC
I need you to pray for a financial breakthrough, since my husband died last year its really been hard to make ends meet, there is so much that I need to do but can’tbecause of my financies, please pray for wisdom in making decisions.
Wow,what an awesome insight guess I never thought of it thst way. Since my late husband passed away in 2002 I find it so hard to even engage in friendships. I have recently through a great deal of prayer made a friend in our church but feel like I drive her crazy because I vent with her everytime were together. Not having friends for so long I guess I really dont know how to anymore : ( Ive since remarried and my husband is awesome ! I just wish I could look at people again eye to eye and be able to freely talk to people. Please pray for me as i finally have returned to ministry and would love to get this behind me.
Kim ,Fredericksburg,Virginia