Community: Prayer Partners

“God’s Surprising Mathematics”

Dear writer, I hope you had a fabulous week and began to explore the possibilities of attending your first writers conference! If you are in the Oklahoma area, I do recommend our Experience Writing Conference as a wonderful place to start! Today, we’re going to take a step back in our journey and look at a more intimate, but critical, part of your growing writing community. That is the role of a prayer partner.

Now, we’ve spent a lot of time discussing our need for other creatives for accountability and growth, but every writer also needs someone to simply walk through life with them. Because here’s the thing. Life happens to all of us, and sometimes the things that most affect our writing have very little to do with writing itself.

Sometimes it‘s a relationship weighing heavy on our heart. Sometimes, a difficult financial challenge. Other times, it’s a health struggle. No matter what we face, everyone needs the support and counsel of those willing to walk with and earnestly pray for us through the nitty gritty of life. But before we jump in, let’s take a look a few people who were willing to walk with others through life’s difficult seasons.

Partnership in History

C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman are an excellent example of “prayer partners” in life. Lewis first heard of Joy when she wrote to him as a new convert from atheism, struggling with some aspects of her newfound Christian faith. As Lewis answered her questions, their correspondence quickly grew into a mutual encouragement and growth. When Joy’s husband divorced her, Lewis encouraged her to come to England for a time. Though greatly opposed due to Joy’s status as a divorcee, she and Lewis quickly fell in love and were married. As Lewis helped her raise her two sons, Joy encouraged Lewis to take up non-fiction writing he’d abandoned after some sharp criticism.  Some of Lewis’s most famous works came from his deep partnership with Joy before her death three years later.

It’s the same with us, writer. Walking with a prayer partners is about investing in someone else’s life and allowing them to invest in yours in seasons of difficult and pain.

Partnership in the Bible

Another great example of the power of partnership was during the Israelite’s battle with Amalekites in the desert of Sin. As Joshua led Israel’s armies in battle, it was Moses’ intercession that fueled Joshua’s victory and his men’s supernatural strength and courage. But here’s the beautiful thing. As Moses supported Joshua, Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses so that his strength and standing with Joshua would not fail. Because of their faithfulness to support Moses, Israel won the battle, and Moses erected an altar named “The Lord is My Banner”—a deep insight into the nature and Names of God that believers have relied on ever since.

It’s the same with us, writer. As we commit to walk with others, not just in our writing journey but through the battles and trials of life, we begin to experience the fullness of Christ’s body, and we are strengthened by what every joint supplies, and we experience the heart of God in a new and fresh way, too, as it is revealed in the lives of our brothers and sisters. And here’s the marvelous part: we may never know who our partnership ultimately touches as we lend our strength, or whose life has ultimately touched ours.

Partnership in Life

I experienced an earnest prayer partner for the first time as a young leader in my church community. At the time, I carried some baggage from old wound at the hands of some petty young women. Wounds that were keeping me from entering fully into fellowship with my sisters ins Christ. Seeing my need, one sweet friend began walk with me and persistently prayed for me, encouraged me, and eventually invited me to her women’s group. As she did, God used her love, counsel, and prayers to heal my heart. Today, I minister primarily with women, and have served many women leaders because of this sweet lady’s willingness to walk with me through that broken part of my life. I cannot imagine where I would be today without her earnest friendship and prayers!

Partnership in Your Life

When willingly walk through life with a person, not just in one area or for one moment, we open ourselves to God’s transforming power as the image of God in them begins to shape the image of God in us. Here’s an example of what I mean…

• • Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. – Proverbs 27:17
  • But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7
  • And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. – Hebrews 10:24-25
  • Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. – James 5:16
    
  • Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity…for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. – Psalm 133:1, 3

You see, writer, there is a special blessing God gives when we commit to walking with another person. As we invest in them, and they in us, we are sowing seeds of love and faithfulness and honor that grow in each of us and produce surprising harvests.

Just like C.S. Lewis’ investment in Joy and her children resulted in an unexpected and rich marriage and sparked many of his famous works.  Just like Aaron and Hur’s support of Moses won the victory for their entire nation. Just like my sweet friend’s love and prayer helped pave the way for the work I do today. When we invest in walking with or standing with another in their difficulty—and inviting them into ours—the Lord begins to grow those seeds in unforeseen ways.

Even when relationships go wrong, we can know for a fact that nothing done in love is ever wasted, regardless of apparent results. Why? Because He’s promised us this: Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8) Nothing done in love will ever fail to produce some good outcome somewhere at some point, though at times the immediate results may seem disastrous.

So, I encourage you today, to consider who the Lord may be bringing into your path in this season to walk alongside. Because here’s the thing. While you cannot force this kind of relationship, you can position yourself for them. Because here’s the other thing. God has designed to live as a body. He Himself said it is not good for man to be alone! God has designed us to walk with certain people in each season…and sometimes for life. Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of opening beginning to seek and ask Him for it.

Where to Start with Prayer Partners

So if you are ready to begin walking in partnership in your life, here are some things to keep in mind…

1. 1. Begin with Prayer. Ask God to highlight or bring into your life those you are to walk with in this season. Begin praying for them in advance. As we pray, we align our heart with God and His priorities and can more easily recognize His leading. Sometimes His choices might surprise you!
   2. Be Aware. Be aware of where the Lord is already at work in your life and in others around you. Sometimes we already know who “our people” are from Him, and we just need to take that next step.
   3. Serve. Consider if or where the Lord may be calling you to serve. Sometimes, we discover those we’re to walk with through the process of obeying God’s prompting to serve. We get to know people more deeply as we work side by side, and service also grows us into the kind of partner we hope to have.
   4. Ask for Confirmation. Ask the Lord to confirm those relationships He seems to be highlighting. For any serious relationship, He will confirm His Word to you in a way that is clear and aligns with scripture. Because here’s a final thought…

Sometimes we choose our friends, but when we begin to ask and look to see who God wants us to walk with, a beautiful thing happens. We begin to experience the growth and synergy of the body as He fits us into our place of fruitfulness. The place where one plus one no longer equals two…but 200. The place where one puts 1,000 to flight, and two put 10,000 to flight.

Our God is a God of multiplication, and when we invest in relationships according to His design, no matter what it looks like, He multiplies everything we sow. Even in those difficult seasons. Even with relationships that seem to have failed. Just like Joy’s failed attempt to save her marriage led to her union with Lewis. Just like my rejection by my peers led to a restoration that fitted me for compassionate ministry.

So I challenge you, today, to consider who you can  walk with in, not just in your wiring journey but in life, knowing that as you do, God will take the love you invest and do exceedingly an abundantly beyond all you can ask or think in and around and beyond you.

#share #prayer #love #life #invest #growth #EveryWriterWriting