During those days in the ICU my sweet mother-in-law was faithful to bring Scripture to my bedside. Frankly, although I welcomed it, I was so confused by all that was transpiring and the uncertainty of the future it seemed a bit like a foreign language. As I was cleaning up old files in my office last week I came across the verses, written in her handwriting on recipe cards.
One of the cards reminded me of one of the great lessons about the body of Christ I took from those dark days: The times in life when we most desperately need prayer, we are often too exhausted or too distracted by the battle we are in to pray for ourselves.
The story of Moses praying for Joshua as he battled the Amalekites is found in Exodus 17.
11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
What an incredible picture of our need for community to "hold us up" and the power of intercessory prayer!
I love my Lord. I knew my only hope during those days of uncertainty was His Sovereignty. Yet, I was so wiped out from the battle that even though I wanted to pray without ceasing, I did not have the strength. Others stood in the gap, propped us up and lifted our hands to Heaven.
I love that this passage ends with this command in verse 14: Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."
This is my scroll, part of the testimony I dare not forget.
Am I lifting others up when they don't have the strength to do so themselves? May we never take for granted the incredible power of prayer.
4 comments:
Great post. And love the popsicle pics too!
I have always loved this passage. Thank you for reminding me of it.
I so agree and long both to do that for others as well as meeting friends locally who might offer that same encouragement to me.
We're on the same prayer wavelength! I just wrote a post the other day to encourage myself, and others, to keep on praying, even when you don't see an answer. God is at work, and He uses others to stand in the gap - it's a beautiful picture of the body of Christ.
Wow...I just taught this very lesson to my cheerleaders at a sports camp that we hold at church on Wednesdays during the summer. The lesson was directed in such a way to help us realize to key points :
1. Some strategies may not make since at first.
2. God's strategy is always best.
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