A Hard Prayer

(Picture from Microsoft's Royalty Free Clip Art)

 

During our Sunday morning worship at church, my pastor leads us in corporate prayer. We all get in a posture of prayer (for me, that means I kneel at my seat) while he prays. Each week, he focuses on different things. One thing has stood out to me. He often prays for other churches by name.

 

And he always asks God to bless that church more than He would bless ours.

Wow.

 

I struggle with jealousy. I compare. I want to be the best. I found myself unable to pray that prayer about friends or other writers. I want to have a best selling book. I want to meet a great, godly guy and get married and have amazing kids.

 

But God has done miraculous things for me. He brought me from spiritual death to eternal life. He put me in a family where my mom and sister would be my best friends. I have friends that I've know for 20 plus years and one I've been friends with since birth. I have a great job with a fantastic boss.

 

I go to an amazing church where my pastor speaks the truth in love and sharing the message of Jesus to the city of Houston and the world is our goal.

 

So, I thought I would try. I began to pray for specific people that I had wasted time being jealous of (because jealousy is a waste of time, not that they are a waste of time). Beth Moore once said in Bible Study that praying for the people you're jealous of is the best way to get over being jealous of them.

I had tried that years ago and found it to be true.

 

But, to pray for God to bless them more than He'd bless me?

I wasn't there yet.

 

But, I'm trying.

 

Because of at the end of the day, I want God's name to be glorified....through me and other people.  

 

So, I'm bringing those people before Jesus, asking Him to pour out His love and blessing to them for His glory.

 

I can't wait to see them shine.

 

What are you praying for? Do you find yourself comparing yourself with others too often?  

 

'