Saturday Confession: Sometimes I Say No to Prayer

Each Saturday I share a confession.

Something I’ve learned from or am growing in.

Nothing horrible, certainly not criminal, but a confession to show you.

Hey, you aren’t alone.

And if you want to share your confession and link up,

I’ve made that possible, too. See the end of the post.

While I have you, I need you to help me out. 

Next month I’m handing my blog over to you.

November is all about the thankful posts.

Yours.

So send me a few sentences or as many as 750 words on why you are thankful.

Any family friendly reason is fine.

Send it to juliearduini@juliearduini.com with a bio and optional picture,

signing off as you want the world to see your name.

First come, first serve, and I reserve the right to edit, but rarely do.

Now, it’s confession time.

Sometimes I say no when I’m asked to pray.

It happened recently. I didn’t always say no, but now I do.

Why?

I read somewhere that a prayer warrior lifts up all kinds of prayers as they are asked and the Holy Spirit leads.

An intercessor stands in the gap and dedicates a season of prayer to a purpose or a person as the Holy spirit guides.

I’m an intercessor. When someone says hey, pray for me, I have a test tomorrow, I do. And mean it.

But when someone says, hey, I’m part of this ministry and I need you to take the cause up with me by praying a,b,c…that’s intercession to me. It might not be the same for all, but for me, I’m not led a lot of places.

When I stand in the gap, it’s a mentally intense place that is like giving birth. It is hard. It takes everything I’ve got. It is painful. But it’s always worth it. I think something that labor intensive can’t be spread too thin.

I’ve had to say no to praying for a person and their ministry because I knew God wasn’t asking me to. I said no with the confidence He did ask someone else, and they would know who it was, ask them, and get a yes. I’ve said no to praying for others because I had a check in my spirit that it wasn’t where God wanted me to be. When I said yes to everyone that asked, I was spread thin. I was lifting up sporadic prayers, hoping they’d stick. And that’s not what you want out of an intercessor.

The most recent no was from someone who had a mission that was Biblical and I’m sure on target for them. But I knew it wasn’t for me. I’d taken that on before and knew I was released from it. Taking it on out of guilt or obligation wouldn’t benefit any of us. It wasn’t easy to say no, but I had to. Right now there are two main places God has me in prayer. And that wasn’t one of them.

I left the conversation asking the Lord to bless that person and the mission He gave them, and those they are praying for. I always pray the person or thing that requests my intercession to prosper (unless they are asking me to pray for something outside God’s will, of course.) And I’m now able to walk away and feel free.

And move on and go to that place only intercessors know where words are lost and tears accelerate as intimacy with Him increases.

What about you? What’s your confession? Share in the comments or better yet, write your own confession on your blog and link up below. Thanks!