Let me begin by saying that so many of you are heavy on my heart today. Daily Cup readers' prayer requests have made an indelible impact on me and I've been praying intensely for so many of you. You see, this blog is not just something I do recreationally. It's a ministry, birthed and designed to impact lives. It's been 5 weeks since the Lord first laid "Thoughtful Thursdays," a time of praying for others, on my heart. Whenever He initiates something, He always confirms that He's in it and this week, "my daily cup is full" as prayer requests poured in.
So, I want everyone reading today to join me in bombarding heaven. As I often say, if I don't know anything else, I know that prayer changes things. Sometimes, we look for solutions everywhere, but fail to get down on our knees and go to God. But how many believers do I have that know, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16 KJV)?
There's a quote I like by Oswald Chambers that says, "Prayer does not equip you for greater works. Prayer is the greater work."
Do I have any praying people reading today?
I know that, on Thoughtful Thursdays, I usually just list the requests and leave it at that. But today, I have to share with you what's on my heart, because, one of the things I sincerely pray for my blog readers, is that God will give you a burden for the needs of others. I want you to be moved to compassion and action when you see others hurting, afflicted, or simply in need of an encouraging word.
So today, whether you're at work, at home... wherever you may be, be an active participant in this "Thoughtful Thursdays" post. Are my prayer warriors ready? Find a moment to steal away and intercede for someone else. After all, none of us knows when we'll need someone to talk to God on our behalf, amen?
Here we go:
1. Today, we'll start off with a 21 year old young woman I mentor named Jocelyn Bowman. She's experienced some very trying situations recently. I want you to pray that God heal her brokenness and give her wisdom and discernment, so that her decisions reflect His desires for her.
2. Join me in crying out to God on behalf of a woman whose name shall remain private, that God will restore her marriage that the enemy is seeking to destroy after 17 years and that the Lord will speak to her husband's heart and give him the desire to try again.
3. We're seeking God for several things in the life of Shaneque Rhodes. (1)Her 4 year old daughter was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and this has devastated Shaneque. Ask God to comfort her and give her the courage she needs to face this new situation. (2) We're praying that God will restore peace and joy to Shaneque as she battles depression and feelings of anger, confusion, and hopelessness at times. We ask that God give her a sense of purpose and let her know she's loved and valued. (3) Let's talk to God about healing the breech in Shaneque's marriage too and giving her renewed faith and confidence in the power of reconciliation.
4. Ask God to give strength, encouragement, and healing to Doretta Bishop. She's a woman who loves God with all her heart and recently, her longtime Pastor slipped away to be with the Lord and this has been quite a difficult transition for her. Doretta is struggling to adapt after losing such a trusted leader and her faith is being tested.
5. Also, set aside some time to pray for Andrea Hopkins and her husband Darryl as they face a transitional period when Andrea is seeking to re-enter the workforce after staying home with her children, so that she can make a contribution to her family's financial stability. Also pray for their business, DBH Entertainment, that God would send clients and favor them.
6. Pray for Carletta Givens that God would help her to surrender to Him 100% so that her life will reflect His image. I want you to specifically pray that God reveal to Carletta that, in her own strength, surrender is impossible. But when she trusts God as her source, living a submitted life becomes much easier.
If you have a prayer request and would like for me and all the Daily Cup readers to join you in talking to the Lord about it, please email me at dailycup@eewmagazine.com. I read every single request personally and I pray over what I read. Also, if you send an email to me and would like to keep your request confidential, just let me know and I'll cover you in prayer privately... but I encourage you to reach out and connect today. God bless!
As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!
Dianna Hobbs
