Stacey Wheeler | Friends Women Prayer Coordinator
Most of us are familiar with the scripture in Mark 1:35 that states, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (NIV). Jesus started his day with prayer. He prioritized prayer by rising before the sun, leaving his home, and being alone to spend time talking with his Father.
One of the most powerful ways to connect with one another and with God is by joining together in prayer. Merriam Webster defines the word “intercession” firstly as “the act of interceding prayer,” and, second, as “petition, or entreaty in favor of another.” Intercession is an “act.” It is not just in our minds and thoughts, although our internal prayers are of great value as well. Active prayer involves effort, time, and focus. What we value, we make the time to do. It falls into the category of important, but not always into the category of the urgent. For this reason, we can sometimes miss how crucial it is to value and prioritize intercession.
Recently at the EFM brunch hosted by Friends Women during Ministry Conference on Saturday morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see one of our Kingdom workers (a missionary) standing in front of me that I thought was unable to attend. We were able to talk for a bit before the brunch started. One of the last times I had seen him was when Tony and I had the opportunity to visit South Sudan at the end of 2024. He was instrumental in helping our team navigate a new culture and understand how to communicate with the South Sudanese. He had recently undergone surgery while in America, and I was able to get an update about how he was feeling. Thankfully, he said he felt so much better after his surgery and time of recovery over the previous week that he was able to attend the brunch. Because we’ve prayed for him and his medical condition during our Online Hour of Prayer for over a year, it was so encouraging to talk with him face-to-face and know that our prayers are working. God opened an opportunity for surgical intervention in the U.S.A., and the surgery was helping him. God heard our cries on behalf of his health, and we thank God for his mercy in this situation.
Please join us once a month as we pray for our workers in the field. The Online Hour of Prayer exists to give those who desire to intercede for Kingdom workers around the world the opportunity to gather and call on the name of the Lord on behalf of those on the mission field. Our first online prayer meeting was October 22, 2024, with 11 intercessors. Since that meeting, we’ve joined together online many times, lifting our voices to God in thanksgiving, petition, and, at times, crying out to the Lord for his mercy and grace.
We meet once a month, January through October, on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 6:00-7:00. Twenty-two women have signed up to pray. This meeting is not just for women—there are men who attend as well.
Thank you to each person who has prayed with us over this last year! If you would like to join this Zoom prayer group or know someone who would like to be a part, please text at 480-734-3656 or email at stacey@efcmaym.org.
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24).
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