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Nancy C. Williams
avatarNancy C. Williams3 min read  

The Privileged Life: Pray for God’s People

“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you…the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:1,3)

I’m one of those attention-deficit people who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time…which makes me most appreciative of folks who can walk and pray at the same time. Their “prayer walks” are meaningful to me.

Our church is blessed with several members who have consistently met, outside of normal worship services, to pray over our members and staff. During our church’s quest for a new pastor, some of them frequently walked around our building whenever the search committee was meeting.

Prayer walks around a physical structure are significant, even as we recognize that the real church is comprised of the humans who gather there—Christ’s body on earth. Prayers for God’s people anytime, whether we’re walking or not, are precious to Him.

Our church reminds members of prayer needs for individuals, and I’m glad to lift these up. But I admit I’ve been a bit negligent lately in praying for our whole church. 

Want to join me in a renewed effort to pray for fellow believers? Here’s a printable list of prayer ideas—maybe you can pray through these as you walk around your own church:

Like any parent, God loves harmony, humility, generosity, servanthood, kindness, and above all, brotherly love among His children. We offer our praise to Him when we pray together for each other.

Let’s call upon Him, every Sabbath and every day of the week, to bless His church—for His will to be done for us here on earth as it is in heaven. May we rejoice in seeing His Holy Spirit spread among us like wind and wildfire!

Holy God—our Lord, Savior, and Guide—bless my church today with Your grace and favor. Renew our hearts with Your Holy Spirit, and propel us into Your kingdom work. May Your love be poured out to others through us, and may Your name be blessed forever in our midst. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her weekly blogs are featured on Crossmap.com. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at http://lightbournecreative.com and subscribe at the bottom. 

© Copyright 2024 Nancy C. Williams, Lightbourne Creative (text and photography) Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #HolySpirit #prayersforchurches #prayforthepersecuted #persecutedchurch #prayerlife #churchlife #loveyourchurch

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    Nancy C. Williams

    Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism, including almost a decade at FedEx corporate headquarters. Nowadays, Nancy writes for the sheer joy of it, with blogs, devotions, and novels at the top of her “fun stuff to-do” list. She’s also an adventure enthusiast who loves snow-skiing, making biscotti, taking photos, digging into fascinating stories from the past, and sharing a good laugh. Nancy is serious, though, about serving Jesus Christ as a prayer warrior and writing for His glory—striving to encourage other Christian women on their spiritual journeys. When she isn’t writing, look for Nancy hiking the Appalachian Trail with her beloved husband and mini-schnauzer Heidi. Her weekly blogs are featured on Crossmap.com. ===== To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at http://lightbournecreative.com and subscribe at the bottom. ===== Nancy C. Williams is the author of "A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility"—a devotional book offering hope and encouragement to women who are overwhelmed by anguish, guilt, and isolation as they cope with longing for motherhood. This book offers support and solace, life lessons from faithful women of the Bible, Scriptures of hope, and reassurance that God hears your prayers and has a good plan for your life. ===== Williams is also author of "To Love a Falcon," a novel that begins with a true top-secret World War II mission involving Nancy’s father-in-law and the “murder” of a Russian naval officer he befriended. The rest of the story, based on the Russian fairy tale “Finist the Falcon,” follows a fictional female mechanic who is swept up in Soviet intrigues along with a MiG jet test pilot. "To Love a Falcon" takes readers into the treachery of Russian operatives, the stark landscape of Siberian winters, and the courage of those who risk death for faith and love.

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