Last night I went to a Christian concert, which was amazing. God was moving and it was a beautiful sight to see so many believers coming together unified and united. Eyes focused on the One who matters, hands raised in surrender. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

While this was happening there were two women there with the intent to distract, shame and call us names. To be honest, it took me a while to notice when it first started in the intermission but then it became more obvious. It got so bad, security was called multiple times to ask for assistance. They were making a scene, saying things to make others uncomfortable. My friend and I are looking at each other, confused and not sure how to handle this - if we should handle this at all. It wasn’t just us either; I looked around and could see the others around me were thinking the same thing.

The concert started back up and the girls kept at it and I heard the Lord say, “Are you going to let it upset and distract you from why you came?” The answer, no. I decided to not say anything and worship the Lord. Nothing I said would have defended God or His people. God doesn’t need defending and neither do I. I decided to “Raise a Hallelujah” and use my melody as a weapon, to sing louder and let God do what only He can do.

The girls got escorted out but still they were on my heart so I continued to pray for them. The heaviness of pain, anger, confusion and so much more was left from them. All I kept hearing and feeling was love for them, no matter what they said to me and about me, I felt love for them. Then I tried – and I mean tried – to contemplate the love God has for them. No matter what they do or say, God will never love them more. They are both so precious in His eyes, just as each of us is. There is nothing we can do to be loved more or less than this very moment.

God then began to bring up people and situations that I got to see from a different side and perspective, to see the goodness and love in each one that I had never seen before. I prayed for each. I then was so gently reminded about how powerful prayer is again. Do I believe those girls accepted Jesus as their Savior? No, but miracles happen. I do believe what they came to mean for harm only strengthened my faith and love. I also believe that mocking and jeering they were doing in worship planted seeds. I do believe God broke down walls and understand how scary that can be. Even though they may have joked and gestured God poured out His pure love on them and more experiences will happen that one day in Heaven I will get to see them again.

PRAYER CHANGES EVERYTHING.

It can be instant and it can take time, but one thing I know for sure is that with prayer things change. It may be us or the circumstance but when we allow the God of the universe into our lives things can’t help but change. We can’t hate the ones we pray for. Try it, I dare you. I’ve done it. The hardest people for me are the ones I pray for the most. I had that thought while I was praying for the girls and my heart for them began to grow.

Jesus prayed, a lot. And in Matthew 6:5, it doesn’t say if you pray, it says when. We need prayer. Prayer helps us take our eyes off of our own problems and situations and welcomes the King of the Universe into them. Psalm 34:1 says, “His praise will always be o my lips.” No matter where we are or what we are doing, we can pray and proclaim the goodness of God! He hears us.

So I urge you, pray. Pray for the ones who hurt you, challenge you and speak against you. Let your prayers ring in your hearts. Imagine what our world would look like if we all came together in prayer, unified with one voice.

Prayer changes our lenses and helps us to see with a Heavenly view. With prayer, we can become answers to problems. We can find Heavenly solutions. Heaven comes down, miracles happen, there’s healing and restoration. Prayer is a commodity that never runs dry because it comes from a source that never runs out. Pray for those who don’t understand you.

I will continue to pray for those two women and believe they are going to give their lives to the Lord and Heaven is going to rejoice. I can’t wait for the day to worship with them in Heaven. How many other people can we have that perspective on?

So today if you need prayer, let someone know. If you have a feeling someone else needs prayer, ask. Let us be a people that prays what we preach. Let us pray with Heavenly eyes and speak Godly words. Will we make mistakes? Yes, we are human but we can learn. Can it be awkward and uncomfortable? Yes, but with practice it won’t.

Isaiah 56:7, Matthew 21:13 and Mark 11:17 talk about a “House of Prayer.” In the Old Testament this was a huge statement because foreigners and eunuchs were excluded from worshiping God. But this is a promise from God of what is to come, a God that is for ALL people of ALL nations. The foreigners will be welcome. In the New Testament, Jesus comes in and cleans out the robbers and those turning the temple away from worshiping God. Let us be walking “houses” of prayer. Let us be light in this world. Let us know that our first motive should be prayer. That we go to the God that created this world first before anything else.

What could change in your life if you started praying for it?

There’s a story I heard once that has always stuck with me. There’s a man that dies and goes to Heaven. When he gets to Heaven, Jesus meets him and starts walking him around this house. In this house is a great long hallway with so many doors on either side. The doors go on and on. Jesus starts opening the doors to allow the man to see inside. The rooms are filled with anything and everything from boats, clothes, cars, eyes, legs and so much more. After a while, the man finally asks Jesus, “What is all this stuff?” Jesus responds, “These are all of the prayers that were never prayed. These are all of the answers that were never asked for, the promises never able to have been provided.”

So I ask you again, what and who can you be praying for?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kendra currently resides in Northern Idaho after just coming home from a year spent traveling the world for Jesus to 11 different countries! She loves adventures, traveling, spending time with family and friends, taking her dogs on walks, is currently training for a half marathon, laughing and using her essential oils. Her heart is to show the love of Jesus to each and every person she encounters, to let them know they are loved, respected and heard. Her passion is to awaken the warrior that God has created each of us to be, growing in deeper love and connection with God and the life He has given us! Kendra is excited to be H.O.T (honest, open and transparent) with y'all in her walk with God.