photo credit: trevor coultart (creative commons)
How do you handle change? What happens when God calls you out of your comfort zone into the uncomfortable?
That’s exactly what happened to me almost two years go.
I used to serve every Sunday morning in the media booth at church. I was that person that made sure you could follow along with the words to the songs. I picked out backgrounds, fonts, videos, etc. I always had to be one step ahead of the worship band, which meant I actually had to keep a beat.
Then one day things changed.
God called me out of my comfort zone and showed me it was time to step it up on the prayer team. I had already served for the last few years, but I prayed for people, not with people. Now God was telling me He was taking me to the next level. He actually wanted me to pray with people. What nerve!
I was obedient and resigned from serving in the media booth. I gave up doing what was comfortable and routine to do something that called me out of my comfort zone.
Some days I really hate being on the prayer team.
Not for reasons you would think. It’s not because it’s out of my comfort zone. It’s not because I don’t always enjoy holding hands with people and their germs. It’s because of the heartbreak and tragedies I hear about and see.
Last week alone I prayed for a woman who buried her daughter and brother after a heroin overdose. I’ve prayed for a gentleman who attempted suicide. I prayed for the salvation of so many lost people. I prayed for healing over cancer that is destroying lives. I prayed for broken relationships to be restored. These are just a few.
It breaks my heart. It angers me. I can’t stand to see others hurt. I’m reminded of the broken world we live in and the evil that surrounds each of us. I’m reminded that every day is a spiritual battle and sometimes it makes me tired.
Praying wears me out.
But I’ll keep doing it because I know the most powerful thing I can do is pray. Speaking God’s Word over the lives of other renews me and refreshes me, even though my heart hurts in the process.
I’ll keep praying because I know nothing else will draw me as close to God as talking with Him, whether on my behalf, or the behalf of others. I’ll continue praying with others, crying with them and hurting with them.
Sometimes I see my prayers answered. I see people healed. I see relationships restored. I see people give their lives to Christ. I rejoice because of the answered prayers.
Sometimes I don’t see my prayers answered. Cancer still isn’t cured. Suicides can’t be reversed. Children die. I still rejoice because I know we serve a sovereign God, even though I don’t know all the answers.
