night prayer

Though I sleep, my heart is awake
Though it's night, on you I'll wait
It's been a long night, and I am weary
It's been a long time, and I am hungry

So I wait in the stillness again
I wait in the quiet again

When I heard your voice, and when you said my name
When I heard your voice, my heart yearned

In the middle of the night
My heart yearned
--Misty Edwards


Last night we had a Renovo prayer walk along Indiana Avenue. Like other prayer events, this one was well-attended, and included a few new faces. Unlike other prayer walks, this one didn't start until nearly midnight. The feel of the street is different that late at night: the homeless people you see really don't have anywhere to go anymore, and it's cold out; the revellers are mostly plastered and free from inhibitions like kindness or common sense. The spirit of good, clean, Friday-night fun seemed to have passed for a spirit of darkness and vice. How I wish we could speak truth into the hurting hearts finding love and oblivion in alcohol and sex! I saw so many things that I know grieve God's heart, and my heart grieves, too. Will that one girl ever really break free from the horrible names her boyfriend was calling her, or will it haunt her even if she comes to know God's truth? Will that man find that the words he meant to mock us with are actually the powerful truth?

One thing I love about Renovo prayer walks is that no matter how much faith you have walking in, you're sure to be spurred on to believe God for bigger and greater things by the end. One prayer of faith breaks in, changing your heart and inspiring faith until you can pray for something even bigger, and it continues like that until we're all casting ourselves on God for revival and guidance and blessing that He alone could provide. He loves prayers like that, especially when those prayers are rooted in His will, the things he wants anyway. We can pray with confidence for the hearts of the lost, because He desires that none should perish. We can pray with confidence for unity within the body of Christ, because He himself prayed for that unity (we can even use his own words!). We can pray with confidence for the leadership of our church, because we know that God desires people after his own heart, willing to discern and speak truth.

Do you ever pray scripture? It's one of my favorite things to do, since the Word carries so much power and authority, and when you're praying the very words of God it's pretty much impossible to be praying for something He doesn't want. I find that almost the entire Bible can be turned into prayer in one way or another, but there are specific passages that lend themselves to prayer for others, especially in the epistles. It's more powerful when it's spoken (study, sometime, the power of the spoken word!), but for an example a written prayer will do:

From Ephesians 3:
Dearest God, You are amazing. you have riches and wealth and love and understanding beyond anything we could fathom. I ask that you would delve into those riches and use them to strengthen the person reading this right now--strengthen them with power through your Spirit in their innermost being, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. Secure them firmly in your love--establish them their so they won't be shaken, ever--and give them power to join with all of your family and comprehend the width and length and height and depth of the love of Christ. May they know this love that surpasses knowledge! Fill them to the utmost fullness with Your Spirit, and then increase their capacity and fill them some more! God, you can do this and so much more--more than we could ever ask or imagine--and your power is at work in us. GLORY! Glory be to you in the church and in your son Jesus, both now and in every generation, forever and ever. Amen.

(I am convinced that prayers like that have the power to reclaim even the most depraved darkness. I can't wait to see what God does next.)