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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My prayer is for patience as my right foot heals after having surgery for a dislocation of my big toe. I am not able to be up and about very much for the next couple of weeks. Thank you for your prayers!
Laura
Isle of Palms, SC
I have a prayer request for my husband’s job situation. He wants to get a job through his Uncle’s Carpenter’s Union. Could you pray that if it’s God’s will he will get that job. PLUS we are also planning on starting a family shortly after he gets that job could you also pray that if it’s God’s will that we will be able to conceive, and I will have a healthy pregnancy, and carry full term. Thank you all so much!
God bless,
Veronica
Thank you so much for this devotion today and this joining of women and prayers that you have invited us into.
My prayer is for healing. Ever since I was about 15 (now 27) I have had back pains. Mostly lower but over the last 6 months they have moved upward. I have had x-rays, been stretched, popped, etc and nothing seems to work. It has also started to effect my hips from time to time in the last 6 months as well. My husband has layed hands on me and I am sure he prays for this everyday in his devotions and I have cried out to God. I will be getting insurance God willing next month so I can go to another doctor (I haven’t been for 4 years). The pain at times is debilitating and with 4 little ones to run after I can’t be this way.
I thank you so much in advance for your prayers as well as God for healing me in His perfect timing!
In Christ’s Love,
Nicole, Wabash,IN
My prayer is to become pregnant with our second child. It’s been almost a year…
Also, I long for a close group of godly friends. Please pray that my current friendships with Christian women would deepen into this kind of friendship where we are constantly praying for each other and supporting and encouraging one another, or that I would encounter new friendships.
I have a desire to quit my full-time job of 13 yrs to work my home based business full-time. I want for God’s hand to be in control of this desire and I want his confirmation to move with it. I want to spend more time growing and serving the Lord and spending time with my 77 yr old mother who just became a widow.
My desire is that He will bless my business with great abundance for me and family and to be able to use it as vehicle to touch others for Christ!!
I have an interview on Thursday for a position that has been the desire of my heart. Please pray God’s will be done.
Denise in Virginia
Forgot to say I’m from Surinam and life in Holland Amsterdam.
Thanks
Renee, this is AWESOME!! Your rock story made me teary eyed as I realize that sometimes I can be so selfish and not see past the tip of my nose to see others needs. Thanks for this sweet encouragement to put others needs in front of our own. You are such a blessing to all of us Renee. Thank you seems so small, but I want to thank you for interceding for my daughter. I read your last comment to her too and she smiled then said tell her ‘thank you, I need all the prayer I can get.’ 🙂 Thank you dear friend.
Okay, my prayer request:
That I would become a woman who uses her time wisely and cares for her household and the family in the house. My house is a wreck and daily is a mess so while hubby and son are out of town this weekend I’m determined to make some positive changes.
Thank you for your prayer! 🙂
In Him,
Lelia
Please pray that my mother will find peace and begin to fully trust the Lord again since the sudden death of my step-dad. He died unexpectedly after a minor surgical procedure and Momma is struggling with her faith.
Alicia- Claremont,NC
What a Great way to suppor each other!
My prayer request is that God would open a door of opportunity that will lead me into living the life He designed me for. That He would allow me to work from home in a way that I can be creative, meet a need for others, and glorify Him.
Thank you so much!
(edie7777 at tx dot rr dot com)
Thanks Renee for this opportunity to join in this prayerline.
God knows why he lead me to your blog……
I need prayer for my own spiritual growth.I grow up as a christian,and i experience God in my life i saw His hands…..But i feel lately like He wants more…but it is not clear to me yet….
Prayer for my family 2kids and one on the way and my dh’s who just came to an new relationship with the Lord last year….
And last but not least my family finances…..
Thanks
God Bless
Bernice
Thank you for allowing me to make these prayer requests. They are many! Please pray for my Mom, Gloria, who battles with depression, many friends seeking employment, my children – that they are all safe and well, and me, to keep up with this pace and to do better financially! God bless you all!
Please pray for a serious discussion that needs to take place between my husband and my ex-husband. By the grace of God, my husband and I have a very good relationship with my ex. People can’t get over it and we quickly give God the glory for it. However, something has come up that is creating tension and needs to be discussed. I feel certain that it is the enemy seeking to destroy the testimony of our relationship with my ex. Pray that God would protect it. Pray for the hearts of my husband and my ex husband to be prepared for their talk. Pray that they would each see the other through God’s eyes and have His perspective. Pray that God will be glorified. Mostly, pray that I will trust God to see this through and not fret!
(There is a verse that says “Do not fret it leads only to evil. Psalm 37:8)
Thank you so much for your prayers!
Please pray for me.I am going through major depression and can’t seem to get a grip. God has brought me through a really difficult time the last couple of years and I have so many reasons to be thankful….but this depression has just got a hold of me and I can’t seem to shake it.
Whew! Where do I begin? Please pray for my relationship with my husband. He is a recent cancer survivor and our life has been affected. He is a very loving and caring husband and father.
I grew up as an only child with a dysfunctional and alcohlic father. I was molested by 3 separate individuals as a young girl. I suffered rejection from my father and first husband. I lost my first child from a still birth. I looked for love in all the wrong places and also had an abortion along the way. Which I believe has caused me to struggle with intimacy and not allowing for anyone (men or women) to get too close to me for fear of rejection.
All of these stuggles have been buried deep inside. I want to be freed from all my baggage once and for all!! The desire of my heart is to have my marriage/intimacy restored. To be able to serve my God fully and to be used for His glory!
I thank my God everyday for His washing and cleansing of my sins and desire to serve Him with all my heart.
With a thankful heart in California
I wold just ask that you be in prayer for my marriage. My husband and I have been married since December but I have found that marriage brings out my selfishness. Normally I’m a pretty selfless person especially when it comes to doing things for others, I love making people happy… a people pleaser I guess but in my marriage I’m selfish… emotionally more than anything else. I expect things to go my way and when they don’t I act like a child. I need to learn more self control and I need a heart change more than anything. Would you girls please be in prayer for me?
Proverbs31ministries has been such a blessing to me and an encouragement when I feel like no one else understands. Thank you ladies for being a part of this sisterhood.
I’m Carissa from Florida
My need, I am recently divorced and am filing for bankruptcy. I live with family and my 6 year old daughter. I need prayer for my daughter and i to have our own place. i also need prayer for God to help financially. I only make $800. a month. I also need to get closer to Him!!Thank you so much!!
God Bless,
Kristeen & Alexandria
I am getting married on the 26th of July, 8 more days. I am 53 and am marrying a wonderful man. my two grandchildren live with me so we will all be coming together as a family unit. My grandchildren and I are moving to my future husbands home. Lots of work and changes all at the same time. Please pray for us as we come together as a family, plan for the wedding, pack, and move. Thank you for your prayers.
Sisters in Christ,
Linda
Please pray for my former husband, the father of our 3 wonderful children. His name is Keith and he is having bypass surgery on Tuesday, July 22 and a valve replacement. Please pray for his heart and soul both to be healed. He is a Christian but I believe his faith needs strengthening. I would love for him to feel as close to God as I do. It’s a wonderful and humbling feeling! Thank you so much! Marlene
My prayer request is for my son Ben who is 14 and has autism. He was in a treatment facility for 9 months and is home now. I pray for peace to calm his spirit. I also pray for myself that I would find a friend or friends who understand the world of having special needs children. I need to be uplifted by friends who understand. Susie