When God Says to Pray

Are you led to pray? I do not mean praying in response to an obvious need. I mean does the Holy Spirit instruct you and direct you how to pray and who or what to pray for? It may happen without you discerning what is really happening around you.

God led me to a very specific location to pray for a young man who was hit by a car.

Earlier in the day, Holy Spirit began equipping me with what to pray for. It happened during a conversation with a coworker. She asked if I'd start walking with her during our lunch break. Her recovery and struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has kept her from her beloved passion to walk after she was hit by a car. Not only did she have to heal physically, but the image of the car coming at her attacked her mind. It was a near death experience. My friend is now ready to face her fears and has asked me to come along.

As she shared, I flashed on my sister, Jami, who was also struck by a driver while running across a busy street to catch the city bus. My sister never saw the vehicle; there was no PTSD. Her judgment was impaired after drinking heavily that evening. The Lord spared Jami from living with more suffering than she had already endured her whole life of twenty-seven years.

The driver in the accident was only nineteen and was very traumatized. No doubt he has battled with PTSD as a result. Our family has prayed for him.

Following a late dinner, my daughter and I stopped to pick up a couple things for our cat at PetSmart. However, they had just locked up for the night. Walgreen's was still open at 9pm on Friday night, so we pulled into the parking lot.

This location is at very busy intersection near a mall. Groups of teens gather and often are causing trouble in this area. Anyway, two of these teens were yelling something at us as we pulled into the parking lot. It did not feel safe to get out of the car with Angelica as I watched these young men stand post at the front door. When they walked across the street, we went inside. Surprisingly, we were still unable to find the kitty toy we were looking for.

So we walked out of the store to a huge scene on the street, right in front of where we parked. There were some ten police cars and we heard the FD and paramedic sirens not far behind! Then we saw a young man lying on the median. He had been hit crossing that busy street. It was just wild how we did not see or hear it happen as we were roaming around in the store. It all happened that fast...maybe ten minutes.

I began praying for the young man. He was one of the boys I felt was unsafe. Then I put it all together. My co-worker, my sister, and this young man. Even began praying for the person who hit him. I recall how the 19 yr old driver was traumatized upon hitting my sister. She came from out of nowhere, just like this boy did last night. We were spared from actually witnessing the accident but we were there to pray for him. It was all God's leading and intentional intercession for this boy...and for my coworker, Mickie.

It was just Angelica and me out for an evening. It was very intense but so clear to me. No, all I did was stand there with Angelica and pray as the boy was transported away. I watched his feet moving. I thanked God for taking my sister so quickly. She had been drinking Becky. She was at a party and began fighting with her boyfriend so she took off to catch a city bus to get back home. She ran into traffic as her judgment was so distorted. She died instantly. She had received Christ one month before.

Do you know there are different types of intercessors? Not all are burdened to intercede for the same thing. God gives some intercessors a special prayer focus. I happen to be a crisis intercessor and get S.O.S. calls from the Holy Spirit at 3am. I pray when I see an ambulance, etc.

Holy Spirit leads us to pray, even before an event has yet occurred. God sends his angels out before us to come against the schemes of the enemy.

"And He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor [no one to intervene on behalf of truth and right]; therefore His own arm brought Him victory, and His own righteousness [having the Spirit without measure] sustained Him." Isaiah 59:16

There are two shocks in this passage. One is that omnipotence is looking for help. The other shocking thing is that the omniscient One is appalled. God must have known ahead of time, but it is still shocking. Can one person make a difference? What kind of person does He need? He is looking for an intercessor or one to intervene. The basis of the Hebrew word used there is "to meet or encounter." So He is looking for a person who causes two persons who are separated to meet.

We bear God's burdens with him when His Spirit puts someone's pain upon our hearts. We are moved. He takes over. We are then compelled to pray. Often, the prayer is related to something we've experienced ourselves. Our own suffering, healing, and recovery can cause us to pray with an anguished heart. This is powerful prayer! God uses our own trials and sufferings as we intercede for others who require the same comfort! Sometimes, we do not even realize it.....

A week before the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a man who was out riding his motorcycle was compelled to pray at a specific location. He simply felt the urgency to stop and pray at this spot. Of course, he had no idea what was about to happen there one week later. He did not know Congresswoman Giffords would sustain severe brain injury. After this horrific tragedy, it was revealed to him. He himself had experienced severe brain trauma years before. God led him there to intercede before the event took place, and Congresswoman Giffords survived.

We only need to be aware of the calling to intercede for others. This comes FROM God and is meant to be used FOR Him. BUT we need to be aware when the voice we are listening to is actually leading us to NOT function in our gifts at all! When the urgency comes to pray, Holy spirit is more than likely telling us, "Pray NOW!"