Hey Y’all! Happy December 3rd! Thank you for coming by to read what I’m writing today. I promise you, I am so thankful that anyone would be interested in what I have to say. It is my prayer that you feel comfortable, valued, and gain some encouragement and inspiration from what you read today.
As I read Encouragement For Today: 365 Days of Prayer by Holly Good , my mind went back. One year ago, almost to the day. I was wrapping a gift for the annual Proverbs 31 gift exchange. Truly, I wondered if my gift would be good enough. It was a Willow Tree Angel Ornament, bowed in prayer. It didn’t cost very much. Then I got an idea. ”Pray for the recipient of this gift.” Ok, I could do that. ”No really. I’m serious. Pray for the recipient of this gift. Every day of 2009.” That’s when it hit me. I think this is God’s idea and not mine. I thought about what a commitment it would be. I had no idea who would get this gift, it’s random the way the gifts are chosen. Could I really do this?
By the time I finished wrapping my gift, I also had written a card, offering prayer for the recipient for every day of 2009. It’s the cheapest gift I’ve ever given. But it’s also been the most rewarding.
Holly Good, Lysa TerKeurst’s assistant, and someone I really wanted to get to know better, received my gift. I have to tell you, I hoped she didn’t feel jipped for not receiving a more fun gift. But I think she really loved it. In fact I know she did. I know even more now that I’ve read today’s devotion! I never expected what I got in return. She decided to pray for me too! That makes me cry crazy crocodile happy tears. I never expected anything in return. I love you Holly!!!!!!!
This praying for someone every day isn’t something I had ever given before. I wasn’t sure I’d ever give it again. But speaking in Fredericksburg, Va this past October, I heard from God again. The same words. I was about to give my final message in a 4 part series. I was doing a drawing to give away a P31 Magazine subscription. ”Give the recipient your prayers for a year.” (what???? not again! this is my imagination.) “No it’s not. Do it.” So I did. For the first time ever at an event, I gave away my prayers for 2010. The winner, Wendy, broke down in tears. She was speechless! And I found out just today, that another woman that day, after hearing I was giving prayer away, also heard from God that she was supposed to give prayer away. To me. And on that day, she began praying for me. And has continued. And will continue for the year. Oh. My. Gosh. Get out. No way.
I’ve given away prayer twice. I received prayer (without asking for it) twice.
Y’all, I think what I hope that you gain from reading this, is that you don’t need money to give a special gift this Christmas. You don’t need knowledge or education to give a gift. Prayer is free. It comes from the heart. And it is a blessing. And when you give from the heart, you receive. Sometimes you may never even know about it. It is so powerful.
As I’ve prayed for Holly this year, I didn’t always know exactly what to pray. That’s when I just let the Holy Spirit take over. There were a few times when I asked her for requests, but mostly it’s just been prayers for my friend and her family. From me. To God.
If you’ve never given the gift of prayer, I encourage you this year to consider someone in your life who might just benefit from it. Sure a Starbucks card is nice. So is a sweater. But I challenge you to find a gift that keeps on giving throughout the whole year like prayer does. Yes it’s a commitment. And yes, I’ve laid my head on my pillow and realized I didn’t pray that day for Holly so I squeezed in a quick prayer. But it’s all good. And it’s been a blessing for Holly. For me. For Wendy in Virginia. And again for me.
Have a prayerful day!!!! Much Love,
Sponsor a Child
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
I loved reading Holly’s devotion and now your blog post. After reading this, I feel that nudge from the Lord to do the same and also to seek Him for creative gift giving this year. I’m waiting for Him to tell me who I should pray for all of 2010! How exciting! Thank you, Melissa and Holly, for the example and the inspiration!
Thank you so much for your encouraging words & those from Holly’s devotion as well. I cried reading her devotion & now I’m crying again reading your blog post. It’s such a wonderful comfort to know that your name is being lifted up in prayer every day. Bless you for following God’s direction with this. I think it might be easy for most just to bow out & say oh well. You’ve given me a challenge that I think I might have to just follow through now.
I love this Christmas story, Melissa! I think it is one of my all time favorites ever! I am going to ask the Lord to reveal to me someone that is on His heart that He would like for me to pray for this next year! I was just thinking that He is ever interceding for us! It is a beautiful idea, a God-idea, friend! Thank you so much for sharing!
Blessings,
Cheri
Such a blessing! I decided this year to do a “Favorite Things” Christmas coffee in my home. The instructions for the ladies areto fix a gift bag containing some of their favorite things (candy bar, candle, Starbuck’s gift card etc.) and then we will randomly draw numbers to exchange the bags. I had just this last weekend decided I wanted to then challenge the ladies to pray for the person who received their ‘favorite things’ bag as well as the one who made the bag they received! After reading these devos I now think I’ll ask them to pray daily for both! Thank you for confirming this is what I’m suppose to do! Blessings!
This totally awesomely, bodaciously ROCKED! Thank you for giving us steps to follow to not only deepen our walk with God, but Melissa, you help each one of us to deepen our relationships with Him and with our sisters in Christ. I thank God for the day I picked up the phone and called P31 and you answered the phone. You prayed for me right then and a peace came on my heart. What a wonderful gift you gave to Holly and what a shinning light in the darkness you are to so many around you. Thank you my friend.
Totally love this idea! Love Holly and love you! And as I read, God put someone on my heart to give this present to this year. I’ll email you because I kinda need your help with where to send my note
So you’ll know who it is!
Thank you so much for your encouraging and inspiring words. We often times do not realize the treasures and privileges we have as God’s children; His Word, prayer and care of one another. What an awesome thing to know that we have God’s word upon which we can stand and the privilege of praying one for another. I will be asking God’s direction as to who to pray daily for this coming year.
Thank you for sharing such a heart-warming and challenging story.
I loved today’s devotio. Thank you. I write all the way from South Africa. As I read the devotion and the blog, I know who exactly I should pray for…I lost a very dear cousin on 1 Nov and I am going to pray for his wife as her birthday present because its on 29 Dec. Thank you again for allowing God to use you to inspire others with His word.
Wow!!!! this is one of the best gift giving advise i ever heard. Indeed there are so many things we can give materially but this kind of gift is truly comes from the heart and best gift one could ever receive. With today’s economic strain people need to focus more on giving something that will give hope and one that will truly touch the heart of God …and that is through our prayers. Melissa thanks for sharing this, when i send my Christmas card out next week i will lay my hand on them and commit to prayer for the person I am sending it to…God Bless you!
Melissa, thank you for sharing your Christmas story with us. It was exactly what I needed to read. A friend and I attended She Speaks this year. I have a picture of her in front of the prayer room. God met her in such a powerful way there. I found the perfect frame and it is her gift this year. But it was missing something. And now I know what needs to be included with that picture. Thank you!
Beautiful. Inspiring. Many words come to mind but none seem sufficient. Isn’t it amazing what can happen when we let the Holy Spirit lead us and inspire us? Thank you so much for sharing. Imagine what a different world we’d live in if we’d all done this for one another – beginning 100+ years ago…
What an awesome God thing! Look at the ripple affect that has taken place because you heard God and followed thru! Thanks so much for sharing this story…it is inspiring!
It took me a long time to organize my schedule to accept a friends invitation to pray together. We do it on weekdays. She is a true prayer warrior and has faithfully prayed for my family for longer than I can recall. We have needed her prayers. She understands my challenges, her husband is deployed and I am a widow. I truly believe that the miracle I was blessed with this summer was directly related to her prayers. My son was hit by a car and I watched his body fly from the bike several feet and land on the street. He walked away without a broken bone. One of the things my friend prays for is safety. Prayers avail much. I’m so happy you have shared this so others can share this bond and gift it is not only life changing but life saving.
I’ve given this gift in the past…with the Willow Tree Angel too
Wondering who the Lord might direct me to commit to pray for next year. I like how you didn’t know who would receive your gift…that the Lord chose Holly for you…yes the perfect gift for Holly, but I’m thinking He knew in advance that she would offer the gift back to you and the Lord wanted to bless your heart in a special way as well. He saw your beautiful, selfless heart offering this priceless gift. He knew all that 2009 would hold for you. He knew who would receive your gift, and again selflessly give in return to meet needs in your life that you didn’t even as yet know you would experience. Only God my friend. Only God.
Do you sometimes feel like the gift given was more for you than the recipient you intended? You receive back in so many ways that it’s totally incredible and leaves you in awe of God’s goodness.
Love ya Melissa (and Holly)
Joy
What a wonderful idea! I’ve just studied Hannah and the power of her desperate prayer and posted about it on my blog. Her prayer was answered, but her prayer went beyond her personally. It changed not only a life and a situation, it changed a nation! That’s just how powerful prayer is.
I’ve called up people many times and told them that God had laid them on my heart for prayer, and they have been truly touched by it. I might just have to give the year long gift of prayer this year!
Thanks!
Rebecca
Dear Melissa,
I had already sent this “gift” to one of my friends via email…At first I was afraid to press send…afterall we should not be rash in our vows, right? But, just now I received her reply…I’m so thankful for your idea passed on to me. God so good!
And Faithful, indeed!
Bless you!
Sandy
Melissa,
This is so weird. I just wrote about this on my blog a few days ago. This year hubby and I are making our gifts. But as we make them we say a prayer for the recipient.
This is just God telling me that I am doing the right thing by slowing down this season.
What a wonderful idea! I am going to pray about this and see who God lays on my heart. I have a prayer-friend that I am committed to praying for. I met her through Wendy’s year long NLT Chronological Bible study she is leading on her blog. Lori has become a mentor and dear friend that I have prayed for God to bring into my life for a long time. When I read this post and the devotion though I believe God has someone else in mind as well. I am going to pray and seek Him on this. I think I will post on my own blog some thoughts.
Thanks for forwarding that other post to Karen!
Love,
Brandee
Melissa –
Thank you, sister!
I love that acronym of J.O.Y. (Jesus, Only You) because in the whirlwinds of life and especially during the Christmas season when added burdens of the holiday keep us busy, I am reminded about another acronym that I know. “B.U.S.Y.” = Being Under Satan’s Yoke. Satan wants us to be so busy that we don’t have time for Jesus and lose sight of what the real meaning of Christmas is all about. Then I realize yet another one: “F.R.O.G.” = Fully Rely On God. For me, it’s an easier way to remember what I need to focus on and keep my heart fully open to what God wants to say to me.
I also love that gift idea. Prayer is indeed powerful but more so when the gift’s recipient knows that they are covered 24/7, 365 days a year! Wow! Ya can’t get much better than that!
Wow! I have shed a few tears reading the devotional this morning and now your blog post. Thank you so much for listening to God’s call and sharing your experience with us.
Blessings
Sarah
Thank You Melissa for the heart warming blog. “God-ideas” are so much better than our ideas! Your blog today really touched me, and I am going to share it with others. God Bless You!!!!
With Much Love,
Felisa
I am going to give the gift of prayer to my best friend! We usually to make our gifts more from the heart and less from the wallet…. so thank you for the idea! I already had a beautiful notebook for her (she real wanted one to use for Bible study) Now I will add the gift of a year of prayer to her gift!
AMAZING IDEA! I love it! Thanks for the inspiration
I loved today’s devotion and your blog, it’s so inspirational and wonderful that you would do it absolutely EVERY DAY, because everyone can pray for someone, like I pray for my friends or stuff like that, but you did it every day and I think I’ll probably do it this year.
Thanks a lot, I love encouragement for today and I think the name for this devotional is more than perfect, because it does exactly what its title says: encourage.
Thanks again,
Lots of love.
Rebeca =D
I think this a great idea that blesses both the giver and receiver! First, the person who receives it not only gets the amazing power of prayer but also the blessing of knowing that someone is cares and is thinking about him/her which can be a special blessing to those of us who have been stained and ruined. I shared this with a friend recently and don’t think she’d mind my copying what I shared with her:
I was in a car accident my senior year in high school. It shook me up a little which may be why my emotions were so strong that night, but that weekend after the accident we had a youth lock-in. We played “Baby if you love me you’ll smile.” It’s a game where “it” goes around saying that to the people seated in the circle who are trying not to smile. You keep saying that and trying to get them to smile. If they do, then they are it. After I had a turn being it (a long turn), I went off to myself in a room and laid on the floor and sobbed. I don’t think I really understood at the time all the reasons I believed that but in my head over and over I kept saying “Nobody could love me!!” What a powerful gift to know someone cares enough to lift you up in prayer to God.
Also, the person giving is blessed by not only talking to God but also having their focus placed on someone else. I’ve been working to find a place to do some volunteer work as a reminder to myself how I’ve been blessed and to focus on others rather than staying focused on my own problems. This idea is another great way to do that, and I’ll be praying about who God might want me to pray for this year!
Melissa, thanks so much for this encouragement. I found your blog from Holly’s encouragement for today (which I just LOVE!!) This is such an amazing idea! I have been blessed over the past few months with someone who is praying daily for me. It has been so much of a blessing – because it was someone I had met once and months later when I was going through a really tough time – they contacted me and told me God had impressed upon them to pray for me – daily! What a GIFT!! Just yesterday when I received some very bad news I asked God to just show himself in a REAL way to me. I ran into this person @ Wal-Mart – I NEVER see this person out. It was such a huge encouragement to me that God is in control! My prayer now is that God will impress upon me someone to bless with this awesome gift! Thanks again for your encouragement!
What a wonderful way to respond to God’s prompting. And your obedience was rewarded
I think this is an excellent example of God showing us that HIs currency is not the same as ours. Though the gift did not cost much in terms of actual dollars, it was, indeed, priceless!
You are precious- I love reading your blog.
God Bless
Melissa, what an awesome gift!! May your Christmas and the coming year be a blessing to you.
Sweet Melissa,
Because of your gift of prayer, yesterday I received the gift of prayer from a woman in my Bible Study. Your gift truly is the gift that keeps on giving…and far beyond you and the person to whom you gifted prayer. Thank you!!!
Love you sister,
Wendy
Wonderful gift we can all give to someone. Thank you for sharing.