On Being ‘Prayed Up’

“Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer

and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be known unto God. Philippians 4:6(KJV)



I act as a section leader on our church’s prayer chain. Ours at church has three layers. The office receives requests. One of the secretaries calls the upper tier. My section falls in this group. The other two tiers each have a leader who calls their section leaders.

From time to time, we get requests that break our hearts. When we received our last sad request, I was unable to articulate the thought. I told some that I ,again, found myself the purveyor of bad news.

I have been on the prayer chain of another church I attended. At times, I had the same feeling then. I know God helps me when I pass on requests. The day we had the latest one that I found especially heart-breaking, I also heard of a lady who is elderly and a nursing home resident whose time is getting close. And we have a lady in her early 50s who had been given a prognosis of a few months.

One thing I have learned is that I have to be prayed up. I can’t be haphazard in my prayer life. There are time life comes at me fast. I have to not let my guard down. This is a continuing lesson I have learned these past weeks since my sister-in-law’s accident and resultant transfer to heaven.

I have found there are rewards for being prayed up. Even the unexpected tragic issues become manageable. God takes us through these hard times, no matter the source of the issue or the level of hurt we may feel.