What I Learned at the Prayer Shower

I'm not sure what to call it, but it was one of the most overwhelming and moving experiences of my life. Some dear friends, girls I would call my "Steel Magnolias", gathered last weekend for the purpose of praying for God's will for my family (or as Clay reminds me to say, "our family"). I would call this gathering a Prayer Shower because it had all the elements of a shower - food, friends, and family... but they showered me with encouragement and prayer instead of gifts.

This is what I learned...

1.The throne of God is peacefully powerful
Loulou set the tone for my heart by describing the power in God's throne. Ezekial 1:15 - 26 reminds us that God's throne is never empty. Even when He descends to rescue His people, His throne moves with Him, so we never pray to an empty throne. God is always there.


2. God's Word says a lot about having children
Psalm 113:9 reads, "He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother." Then, between Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Elizabeth, so many people in the Bible struggled with infertility. And yet, God used their story to bring glory to Himself.


3. Hearing my name in Psalm 139 is awesome
Knowing that God understands my thoughts, even when I don't always understand them, brings such enormous comfort. It makes me want to insert my name into other verses and feel the impact.


4. God's will is never what you expect
As the girls shared their stories of struggle and triumph, I was encouraged by the predictably unpredictable nature of God.


5. There's no better place on earth than the center of a prayer circle
I memorized Matthew 18:20 as a kid, but I never grasped it until Saturday. Truly, where two or three are gathered in Christ's name, He is there in our midst.


6. Prayer is a precious gift that I don't give enough
After feeling the impact of such loving, personalized prayers, I want to give others the same gift. I feel like my eyes are open now, searching for opportunities to pray for people around me.

To so many people who have prayed for Clay and me, I can never thank you enough. Your love encourages us more than you know.