Pre-praying is a term I have for praying ahead... It is sort of like putting money in a piggy bank to save up for something special. In this case, it is praying ahead for an event or a person. Let me tell you of a specific instance and how good the Lord was to me and my family.
My father had been very ill with colon cancer in 2008. He had a very large tumor removed in November of that year. The doctors had told us that he would not have much more time, but never really put a number on his days. Well, for some reason the Lord put it on my heart to be in prayer for my mother. I had seen some behavior that I was concerned about and felt convicted to pray for specific things to happen in her life. I invited three other people to join me in prayer. One was my sister and the other two were strong prayer warriors from my church. I have a copy of the email that I sent sitting on my desk in front of me as I type. It is dated January 2, 2009 10:11 AM.
To the day, 40 days later, my father passed on to be with his Lord in Heaven. Exactly 40 days to the day! I believe the Lord had me pre-praying for the changes that were to occur in my mother's life. He knew that my father would be leaving and that my mother would need divine strength during this time of loss. I also know it to be true that the number forty is used by God over and over.
When Noah was told to build the arc, it rained for 40 days. Before Noah was allowed to leave the arc, he and his family stayed on the arc 40 days after the rain stopped before they walked off onto dry land. Moses was on the mountain with God for 40 days. Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days, and was seen for 40 days after His crucifixion walking on the earth. The Lord loves to use this number... I take it as a sign that He is involved when this number is made so consistently clear.
Now back to the pre-praying...
If the Lord puts it on your heart to be in prayer for a person, do so! In my case, I was led to pray specific petitions and wrote them down. This is not always the case... I pray daily for quite a few people and often times I just mention their name and trust that the Lord knows their needs. I pray for a "hedge of protection" around my family (by name) and their friends (by name). This is my version of pre-praying.
Often, before travel or before a big event (like my colonoscopy), I pre-pray for those things. Let me encourage you to do the same thing. Talk to God about the people you care about... give it a little Pre-Prayer! M
from the web site: Power of Prayer
"The power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. Rather, the power resides in the God who is being prayed to. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." No matter the person praying, the passion behind the prayer, or the purpose of the prayer - God answers prayers that are in agreement with His will. His answers are not always yes, but are always in our best interest. When our desires line up with His will, we will come to understand that in time. When we pray passionately and purposefully, according to God's will, God responds powerfully!"
The following scriptures reinforce the power and provision of prayer:
1 Timothy 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests,
prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--
Romans 1:9-10 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son,
is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and
I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
Ephesians 1:15-19 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength.
1 Thessalonians 1:2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.
from the web site: Power of Prayer
"The power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. Rather, the power resides in the God who is being prayed to. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." No matter the person praying, the passion behind the prayer, or the purpose of the prayer - God answers prayers that are in agreement with His will. His answers are not always yes, but are always in our best interest. When our desires line up with His will, we will come to understand that in time. When we pray passionately and purposefully, according to God's will, God responds powerfully!"
The following scriptures reinforce the power and provision of prayer:
1 Timothy 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests,
prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--
Romans 1:9-10 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son,
is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and
I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
Ephesians 1:15-19 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength.
1 Thessalonians 1:2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.
