The Power of Prayer

Borrowed from my Facebook status, Tuesday, March 12, 2013:

Although lid fell off the hinges, it still works!

Few people know about my prayer box. I started it my last year of teaching (2008) when I realized how awesome the task before me and the many challenges that were set up against my students.

So I wrote down each and every child's name that I have touched during my 5 years as a teacher on an index card and placed it in a box. I also added in family members and friends that I felt compelled to intercede for.

I did good for awhile, picking at random 3 index cards a night (each with the person's name on it) and writing at least 3 specific items to pray for on that person's behalf - healing from past hurts, nurturing of a specific gift, etc. I'd then pray for each person.

Slowly this nightly routine was discarded- for whatever reason I became too busy to pray for others :(

For Lent this year I decided instead of giving something up I was going to add something in. I decided to begin praying for those in my prayer box. I picked up where I left off and began praying earnestly for all my students in general and then specific prayers for the 3 individuals for that night. I'm pretty cool with not needing to see the results of these prayers, just relying on faith that the Lord will take care of each of them.

So, today I was at Starbucks and ran into the parents of a student I taught during the 2006-2007 school year. I noticed his mom right away- see the kid was fresh in my mind since I'd just prayed for him last week and he's the type of child you don't easily forget. His parents remembered me right off and they were sharing how well he's doing in school, sports, etc. I told them, "This may be weird but I prayed for him last week. Actually I pray for all my students." His dad, ever the jokester (that's where the son gets it from!) said "that's why he made the baseball team!!!" And his mom said, "Keep praying, because it works!"

Indeed it does! A happy Starbucks moment!