Prayer Support

Yesterday my mothers' prayer group gathered for the first time since the end of school last year. I was looking forward to gathering again...except for the fact that the consensus was to meet at 6 a.m.

I am NOT a morning person. I never have been and now that I'm pregnant, well, you get the picture. When the alarm went off after a very fitful night of sleep, my body hurt. My mind gave me a dozen reasons to roll back over but my spirit ached to be fed.

I went. It was the first time in our four years together that we met before sunrise, in perfect quiet, with no children. It brought a different kind of peace in spite of the gigantic sacrifice.

When it came time for my prayer requests, I let loose. These women are my friends, my warriors. We've been through a lot together over the years and I have nothing left to hide from them.

Not one of them laughed at me. No one judged me. There was not one word of condemnation. Instead I received words of encouragement, wisdom and compassion. These are all mothers. They've been where I am. They empathized with me and told me I am not crazy. They laid hands on me and prayed over me. They even provided some practical tools for some of my ailments.

As I left the house totally exhausted, I felt a peace that I haven't felt in a long time. I realized that I am not alone. I have three dear friends who are praying for me and a God who loves me enough to provide them.

If you don't have this kind of support in your life, find some. I cannot tell you the prayers that have been answered among us over the last four years. We lean on each other, console each other, laugh with each other and just plain enjoy each other.

The jury is still out on whether the 6 a.m. time will work (in other words, we’ll see if I survive it). However, if it’s a choice between the physical sacrifice and the spiritual one, I’ll choose the physical one every time.