Sometimes I see someone with a situation in their life that could lead to pain or loss and I don't know what to do. Sometimes I know someone is hurting themselves but for various reasons I cannot speak to them. If the situation were life-threatening I'd have to step in but these are problems like relational issues, immoral living, depression, need of direction, bondages, rebellion, job issues, etc.
Oftentimes I cannot speak to the person because I know the person cannot receive advice, I don't know them very well, or it might be inappropriate to speak to them.
From time to time when I become aware of someone like this - who needs help and may or may not know that they need help - I feel a strong sadness mixed with concern and a sense of responsibility for them. These feelings can go on for hours or days for a person. Its clear there is absolutely nothing I can do for these people but I can't stop worrying about them. This is a very difficult feeling and burden. The toughest part of it is that I like to fix things- and I just can't fix these people.
Sometimes I have these burdens about issues in the world such as the lack of religious freedom and starvation in North Korea, child @ trafficking in Cambodia and elsewhere, or the waves of change trying to change the definition of marriage in the United States. Other times I have this sense of burden and fear for someone's well-being who I might know - even if I only vaguely know them or know about them from hearing a story of their challenge.
During these times I will find myself talking about the person or the issue with my wife or perhaps a friend as I try to vent this worry and concern- it doesn't work at all...
A few times I've had the idea to pray and fast for a person going through something although I can't remember if I've fasted and prayed for a broad-sweeping world issue. I have to tell you that the times I've really focused in fasting and prayer for people and taken on their issue personally- the Lord has really come through. The answer hasn't always been in a day or an hour but looking back I now see a lot of freedom has come through those times. I actually hate to fast- until I am doing it. Once I get into one (I don't fast for several days and I use a protein shake... I have a job so a basic protein shake helps) I end up loving the worship and prayer time and its amazing how close you can feel to the Lord during these times.
I am still waiting for some of the answers to prayer or prayer with fasting but many other answers are clear and visible now. In either case its such a gift to be able to pray for someone. Its such an amazing thing to fire invisible arrows that slay people's dragons. I know it pleases God to have our fellowship as he works in people's lives.
What I'd like to challenge YOU with is this. Do you ever find yourself worried about someone? Do you get angry when you see someone hurting themselves or others? Do you feel a dread and wish you could do something-- but you know you can't walk in their shoes for them? Let me ask you this - do you sometimes have a clear idea of what is going to happen if someone keeps heading down a certain wrong path? What do you do about this? Do you find yourself gossiping about them? Do you find yourself maybe expressing passive aggressive behavior toward them because you get mad at what you see? Do you nag someone because you see so clearly their mistakes? Do you ever find yourself lashing out at someone because you can't believe they won't listen to your advice?
I want to challenge you with the following- it may be that the Lord has ASSIGNED that person to you for intercession. Do you ever wonder why you notice the path they are on is wrong when you don't have those same feelings about anyone else? Do you ever wonder why your insight into their current choices is so clear? Do you think its a coincidence that you are worried about them? Or do you think *maybe* the Lord is giving you a glimpse of what he sees so you can pray? Do you think maybe this could be His whispering and you just haven't recognized up to now that its His voice?
Stop and consider the possibility that when you have these feelings- it may be the Holy Spirit giving you an intercessory prayer assignment.
I have a secret.. I was not going to blog about this. I am worried right now about someone. The blog was going to be about how its so hard when you don't know how to help someone. I was writing about this and mid-way through the blog entry I suddenly realized a several-year pattern I've had in which I worry about someone, feel responsible for them, and pray for them (maybe fast for them, maybe just pray). I had quite a WOW moment tonight. I hope it helps you- it really gave me such a sense of purpose and participation to know that the Lord was giving me a prayer assignment. By the way- want to know how I know that sometimes we can express a prayer assignment through lashing out in fleshly ways- I did that tonight. I was so frustrated about this person obviously hurting themselves- so worried about them.
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