I closed my phone after quickly scanning the text. Deep in thought, I slowly walked beside my husband as we followed after my two excited granddaughters running ahead toward the park climber. Surprise had been my first response to the note and slight confusion. But as I mulled on it, tears welled up in my eyes. An incredible feeling of love swept over me as the fact began to sink in.

“Why?” I wondered to myself. I certainly didn’t deserve it.

While I was pondering, the sweet voice of my youngest granddaughter broke through my thoughts, calling me to come and play with her. Pushing the text to the back burner of my mind, I joined her. It continued to simmer there, waiting to be analyzed more fully when I had more time to process it. It would bubble up for brief moments, and I would shake my head, trying to fathom it.

Finally, late in the afternoon, after we had deposited our pretty little darlings safely in their home, I found time to sit and open the message again.

“Hey Trish, I just wanted to send you a quick note to say that the Lord brought you to mind, and I am praying for you.”

You see, this note was from someone who didn’t usually text me. The Lord had never brought me to their mind before to pray for that I could remember. It was very random and out of the blue. This person was also someone who had a great responsibility for a lot of people. Why would the Lord put me on their heart? I was no one important. I wasn’t fighting a grave illness, having financial issues or dealing with a devastating sin in my life at the time. However, I was going through a spiritual struggle with something I believed the Lord wanted me to do. That very morning in my quiet time before our granddaughters arrived, I had quietly cried out for the Lord’s help.

The ridiculousness of His loving grace toward me brought new tears to my eyes, and I wept in gratitude. What kind of love is this, that the Sovereign Lord of ALL things should care about my simple struggle in following Him? That He would ask someone who has significance and the respect of many to take time to pray for me? It boggled my mind.

I finally shared this with my husband and said to him, “It must be important.” He agreed.

Thinking on it further, the Lord helped me to understand that even as a professing, believing Christian, I tend to go through life doubting God is interested in my day-to-day struggles. I feel like my life doesn’t matter to God unless I have a great ministry or a celebrity status of some kind. Then I begin to believe that my life is too insignificant to make a difference, and God has no use for me. But as a friend of ours once said, “If the Lord can use a donkey, He can use me.” He was referring to the story of the false prophet Balaam in Numbers 22: 21-34, where God used his donkey to save him from being smitten by the angel of the Lord. Check it out!

You see, the Bible tells us that the Lord cares deeply about our walk with Him. Even in our seemingly simple and boring day-to-day challenges and battles to follow His plan for us.

His love for us is far beyond what we can imagine or conceive of.

Even when we aren’t looking for or expecting His ridiculous grace to fall into our life, He shows up. He is ALWAYS for us and thinking of us! He longs for us to call on His name so He can bless us.

“”Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

Jeremiah 29:12 NIV

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

Philippians 4:6 NLT

So be encouraged, Sisters! The Lord has His eye on you at all times and wants you to succeed in His plans for you. But we can’t do it alone, nor does the Lord want us to. He longs for us to ask for His help and believe that He hears us. It’s also a good idea to share our burdens and struggles with others, so they can be praying better for us and sharing any Godly insights they may have.

How about you? Have you ever had someone tell you they had been praying for you even when you hadn’t asked? Have you ever prayed to God for help and had someone answer that prayer? How did it make you feel? What was your response? I would love to hear about how The Lord has worked in your life through prayer.

Be Well!

Patricia