A Passion for Prayer

When I was 12 years old, God began growing in me a passion for prayer and intercession. I remember being on my first mission trip in Los Angeles, California, and going for a prayer tour of the city on one of the nights we were there. I remember being at on obseratory up on a hill, and looking over the city in prayer! It was an incredible experience and God has continued to work in my heart a passion for intercession.
While in Cheb, Czech Republic, my eyes were opened to a greater experience of God and walking in prayer with Him. Our team decided to bring home what we had learned there, and every Monday night started prayer walks around our very "religious" but lost town. That same first week that I was back, my pastor gave us a challenge at Dream School to listen to the Holy Spirit and write down what He spoke to us. Three days into that week, I was waiting for the bus when I noticed a man (the town drunk) walking in the cemetary. Since being back from Europe God had changed my heart toward him and I began to feel sorrow for him. As I sat on the bench to wait for the bus, the Lord stirred in my heart to pray for Scott (the drunk man). After only a few second of prayer, the Holy Spirit told meto go to him and ask him if I could pray for him. I tried to reason with Him and rationalized that I was praying for him, why should I ask him? But, I knew I needed to obey the Holy Spirit and, shaking, got up from the bench and walked to the fence where Scott was on the other side. I called to him to come over to me, "Hey, can I talk to you?" He staggered over and asked me (very incoherently) what I wanted. I then asked him if I could pray for him. He fumbled his words, but managed to get out "sure, but I am still going to drink." I said "ok, I just wanted to make sure I could pray for you. What's your name?" He told his name was Scott and stretched out his hand, guesturing to ask mine. I told him. He began to walk away, mumbling more incoherent thoughts under his breath. He was obvisouly intoxicated. God had broken my heart for this man, someone's son, God's child. I prayed for him as I walked back to the bench. Since then, I have talked to him on a couple other occasions; on one occasion he remembered my prayers and put his hands together to symbolize prayer.

Though I have been discouraged at times because of the lack of people showing up to walk in prayer with us, the last few weeks, I know that God's Spirit is moving and that His plan is far beyond what I could imagine. This morning at my church's Tuesday morning prayer meeting, I heard from another woman that she and her daughter had been walking around Lynden in prayer. This lightened my heart and encouraged my so much! God had stirred in someone else's heart a passion for prayer over our "religious" little town! Praise the LORD! He is so faithful!

Many prayers and blessings in Christ Jesus,
Lindsey <><