I’m going to take a risk this morning and I’m going to ask you to take a risk too.

I want to pray for you all this morning again like we did awhile back.

But let’s do this:  Instead of praying for situations to change, let’s pray for us to change.

This is what I mean.  We usually pray for healing or for God to change a situation to meet our needs. For example:

“Lord, please heal my friend who is dying from breast cancer,” or

“Lord please bring peace to my marriage.” and

“Please give me time to complete all the tasks I have to do.”

Instead, let’s pray that God changes us. I know, I know, it’s super risky.  God cares deeply about the woman who is dying from breast cancer and about peace in our relationships. And I’m not saying those types of prayers aren’t good.  Let’s do something different today knowing that God’s ultimate goal for us is our transformation.  So let’s pray today that God stretches us to meet the demands of our crumbling worlds.

“Lord, stretch me to be the type of person that offers comfort and energy to those who are suffering.  Show me how I can be Christ to her ” or

“Lord, change me to be a better wife/husband to my spouse,” and

“Help me to complete my tasks with efficiency and teach me new ways to manage my time.”

This kind of prayer takes courage. It’s risky to ask God to change you.

Are you willing?

LEAVE YOUR PRAYER REQUEST IN THE COMMENTS. Let’s pray for one another today before the weekend begins.  Come back later in the day or the weekend and pray for those who have left requests before you. I will be praying for each of you today.

The two most common words uttered in churches across America…

“Let’s pray…”

And then the pastor/elder/ worship leader launches into a prayer about people you don’t know, programs you won’t attend or missionaries you don’t care about.  But you bow your head and close your eyes anyway but think about what you have to buy from Trader Joe’s this afternoon.

So maybe it feels overused or overdone, or even boring.

But that’s not the kind of prayer I”m talking about.  I’m talking about bringing each other to the cross because as Christ-followers we are His hands and His feet here on earth. And sometimes we can’t walk by ourselves and have to be taken on a stretcher.

So today, in the comments, leave a request for prayer about you or your immediate family and we will pray.

Even if you do not pray yourself, but want us to pray for you, leave a comment.

Even if you do not want us to know who you are, leave one anyway and put “Anonymous” in the name and email fields.  I will pray.  Others who read it will pray.

But if you do leave your name, I will pray for your by name.  I promise this.

So be brave, leave a comment, and then pray for the others before you who have left prayer requests.

And then sit back and watch God work.

This kind of prayer is never boring.