Power of Prayer

This week, we’re re-releasing another listener favorite, where I sit down with my good friend Margaret to discuss the profound impact of prayer and the importance of having prayer partners. Jesus said, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20, NIV). In this episode, we explore how prayer is not about perfection but about connection. Whether you’re feeling soul-weary or simply want to deepen your prayer life, this conversation will inspire you to embrace the power of prayer in a whole new way. Don’t miss this encouraging and uplifting episode!

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Transcript

Jan Harrison: 0:02

Welcome to Rooted and Radiant. I'm your host, Jan Harrison. Here we seek to root ourselves in the life giving word of God and cultivates spiritual fruit that radiates Jesus in and through us. Praying people are some of the most influential people you will ever know. My guest today is one of the most influential people in my life and in my family's life because she prays. Margaret, welcome.

Margaret: 0:34

Thank you, Jan. I am so honored and blessed to just share this conversation with you and thank you for just being there in my life in the ways that matter most. And the top of that list is prayer.

Jan Harrison: 0:48

Would you tell us just a little bit about yourself?

Margaret: 0:51

Yes, I am a wife and a mother. My husband is Joe. He is recently retired and we have three adult sons. We have been in Charlotte 34 years now. I can't believe it. And I think I've had the joy of knowing you most of those 34 years. A little about my spiritual life. I came to the Lord my freshman year of college, and it was just God's providence. Uh, two precious girls from Texas lived next door to me in my dorm, and through their witness and their prayers. I came to say yes to Jesus and understand the plan of salvation, and I'm so grateful. I am so grateful for, God's provision and I just might encourage anyone out there. Don't overlook the person next door cuz God has purpose.

Jan Harrison: 1:49

Powerful words, Margaret, and such a special way to just start our conversation. Those girls prayed for you and at the time you had no idea what was taking place, all around you, but you know now that heavenly things and spiritual things were being accomplished in your life. And you have been such a part of praying for people all around you for all the years I've known you. And again, I can't even express how influential that is. So often the teacher or the leader or the person out front gets the credit, but that person would not be able to do what they do if they didn't have people behind them praying. So I just wanna say back to you, thank you for all of the many, many times that you have prayed. Just share a little bit with our listeners how you and I started praying together.

Margaret: 2:51

Yes. We came together in ministry in 1999 with, a women's Bible study, a community women's bible study in Charlotte that was newly formed. You were the teaching leader and I was part of the leadership team alongside you, and it was just wonderful years of growth in ministry and fellowship. And during that time, you and I were raising teenage children, preteen children, and elementary age children, and I think we both shared and knew parenting was getting hard, it was getting hard, and challenges were showing up. And I think we knew we needed help and we needed the Lord and. At times we were feeling overwhelmed. And so God, in his mercy, during those years, those early years of the Bible study, we went away on a leader's retreat and it was a weekend retreat. It was just a lovely time, and one of our small group leaders brought a book for each one of us that her mother had written. The book was called The Sword of the Spirit. It's by Joy Lamb, and the book is actually a prayer manual and it is called Praying God's Word. Well, we took our books and we came home and I remember. Distinctly not long after you called me on the phone and said, would you be interested or willing to get together and pray regularly and intentionally for our families? And I said, yes. And I think Jan, I knew it was important. I knew I needed it. But I had no idea it would be life changing.

Jan Harrison: 4:52

It's amazing, isn't it? When we look back and we see God prompts us to make a phone call, say yes to something, and we have no idea. He's really giving us a lifeline and prayer. Is an incredible lifeline, and you and I, through that lifeline in many arenas besides just our personal prayer, but raising our families was the place that God really developed that lifeline of prayer for us. Did we know how to do it? Did we have a method? Was it something that had a formula? Just share a little bit about how that first really started.

Margaret: 5:38

As I remember, Jan, we thought, let's begin with this book, but we had no idea. I didn't, at least it was all pretty new to me. I had certainly prayed, but. Coming together in this way and starting to really pray. His word was new. There were also some prayers in the book that were written out that had to do with new concepts for me, generational patterns and strongholds. But I knew in my spirit that when you and I would pray and we would put our family's names and personalize those prayers, That whole mustard seed of faith would well up and I would know that we were touching the heart of god.

Jan Harrison: 6:30

It's so special, isn't it? Because you know, he says in his word, if you seek me, you will find me when you seek me with all of your heart. So it's not like you know how to do it or even what to say, but. He wants you to know him and he wants you to know his heart. So he placed that manual in his, in our hands, and it was really his word that we started learning to pray. What do you think hinders people from praying?

Margaret: 7:05

We can have the misconception that. That it's a formula, that it's a skill, that it's something we need to know how to do. And I can remember, early in. Bible study when I would hear other ladies pray that were further along in their journey than I was. And I would think, I can't pray like that. Mm-hmm. So I would just feel inadequate or that it was maybe a gift they had, but I didn't. So I think there's that misconception. I think also sometimes as we continue on our prayer journey, We can fall into places of being just weary or full of doubt or disappointment, and that can become a stumbling block sometimes to our prayer life. But I think it's in those times that prayer is the most important. Of course, perhaps busyness just are really not believing. That it matters.

Jan Harrison: 8:15

Right? I think the things you've just mentioned, I, I think comparison is such a big thing that, we know that is something that is used particularly maybe among women under all kinds of, situations, but in prayer so many times, comparing. The way you pray to the way someone else prays. And I just wanna encourage our listeners, you're talking to God and he created you, and the way you have conversation and the way you, just share with him your heart, your thoughts, your cares, your concerns. It's a conversation that we should be free. To develop and to grow in. The other thing I think you mentioned is, growing weary. Weary and praying. And, how we'll talk about, let's talk about that for just a little bit more. Like, what are some of the practical things that you can do when you become weary in praying?

Margaret: 9:24

Honestly, I feel that pretty recently, and I thought, Lord, I need your word. And I went and looked at scripture. That really spoke to my need of feeling weary and I said, Lord, I need strength. And, I went to a earth in Isaiah where he gives strength to the weary and he increases the power of the week. And I just began to pray it and, and put personalize it and, put my name in it.

Jan Harrison: 9:58

And would you do that right now, just as an example, that verse and your name in it just to show how personal God's word is?

Margaret: 10:08

I would say, father, thank you that you give me strength when I am weary and you will increase your power in me because I feel weak.

Jan Harrison: 10:26

That's so meaningful and so vulnerable, and yet so effective for our listeners to hear that God's word is speaking personally to you in prayer. I love that. Margaret. One of the most valuable things I think I began to learn as we prayed and we prayed. For years on a very, very regular basis. And when we started praying, I wanted answers. I wanted solutions, I wanted resolutions. And God was so sweet and so patient, he understood and he grew us. Through all of those times and honored those. But I think probably one of the most valuable things that I began to learn was to know God more. It. Begin to shift within me that prayer was seeking him, not seeking an answer, and I know that most of us. Well, in my case, I don't wanna speak for everybody. I really started praying regularly when I was desperate, and God is gracious and meets you in those desperate places. But as you go along with him, you begin to enjoy his presence and be encouraged because you are with him and the answer to the prayer. Begins to fade as the focus and he becomes the pursuit of prayer. And I think that is one of the most valuable reasons to begin to pray and to pray regularly. Not just to see shifts in circumstances, but to see him.

Margaret: 12:42

I agree, Jan, it's, you said that beautifully as we talked about prayers, not a formula. It's not a performance, it's not a skill. It's really a heart connection with the Lord. And that's what you just shared, that I think we both began to see we would linger in his presence. We would linger because we wanted to be there. Mm-hmm. And, His presence is the real answer to our hearts cry.

Jan Harrison: 13:17

And he is our peace when the circumstances don't shift, and he is our ever present help and knowing him in those very intimate personal ways become the lifeline and become the breath for, for your daily walk. Prayer is a gift. Prayer is called a spiritual discipline, and most of us, squirm a little bit under the word discipline, but it is such a beautiful conversation, activity, relationship builder with. Almighty God, it's awesome that he would desire to, to have that kind of conversation with us.

Margaret: 14:10

I agree, Jan. What I think God really sees as we begin to pray and what he develops in us is a hunger, and as we hunger more for him, our relationship grows and the byproduct of that is our prayer life grows.

Jan Harrison: 14:28

So amazing. I'm gonna tell this because it's, back to the practicality just a little bit, but it just reminded me when Margaret's car would be in my driveway, my children, All of my children, all four of them had so much respect for Margaret and so much affection for her devotion to prayer that even if they thought their mom was a little over the top. Sometimes they would go, oh, Ms. Cowell's here, this is great. That means they're praying. They were still of course looking for circumstances to shift or problems to change, but you know, they, they valued that. They knew how important it was for there to be people in their lives praying. So maybe I just wanna say to somebody out there, if your children think you're over the top because you're praying, call a prayer partner in and they'll begin to be so excited that they are like this little tusome. Because, you know, the word says when two or more gather together. God is in the midst. And that's another motivation for getting together. It's like I could do this alone. And God is so good. He shows up and his spirit prays with us and for us and through us, but he also encourages us to strengthen each other by getting together to pray. Margaret, you've been in lots of groups besides just a prayer. Partner. What are some of those groups just generally have meant to you what they've been about? how God's used those in your life too.

Margaret: 16:10

Yes. I was thinking about how Jesus prayed alone and how important that is and how his word tells us when two agree in prayer, how important it is to pray. With one another, two praying. And then also he prayed with the crowds and the groups, and there's just such blessing and value in that. I think one of the things is we can lift one another up. There's times to give and there's times to receive, and sometimes we need. To be the recipient of prayer and sometimes we are called to be the giver of prayer and it's a beautiful relationship in a prayer group. Also, I think another thing that I noticed when you and I would pray, I would be looking for the big answer, the oak tree and God would send a seed that I couldn't see cuz I was so emotionally close to a situation or my focus was not exactly where it needed to be. And you could say, Margaret, look at this. Look at what God's doing. And we could do that for one another. And I think there's just such a special opportunity that God gives us when we pray with. One another. And in a group. I also think in a group, We can just learn so much and we can witness God's faithfulness in ways that aren't just our life, but they build our faith when we see it, see him move in other people's lives through prayer.

Jan Harrison: 17:58

Because we start to understand. He's done that in your life and it won't look the same in my life. But because God is, meeting each of us where we are. But it builds our faith, if he will do that in Margaret's life, he'll, he hears my heart's cry as well. That little ember becomes a flame, and the more you pray, the more it builds and just faith grows and it's so powerful. I was gonna ask you, is it hard to be vulnerable and ask for prayer?

Margaret: 18:39

Yes, I think it is. Jan. It's important to mention a couple of things about praying in a group and being vulnerable. I find that prayer is such a privilege and when someone shares something with you in a prayer group, it is, sacred ground. And I think, Being confidential and holding it only to yourself and the Lord is so important if another person wants to tell their story. But prayer is such a place of vulnerability and there are times, it's just hard to put words to some of the things that are on our hearts. The more we spend time with a prayer group and the more we build trust. And the more we understand and value confidentiality, it becomes safer. And I think that's so important.

Jan Harrison: 19:38

So important. And I love when you just said, it's so hard to put words on things sometimes, and two things come to my mind then first of all, that's why knowing the word and being rooted in the word and being able to pray the word. Is so important. We simply don't have words so many times, and then often when you're sharing with a prayer partner or in a group that you trust, God will prompt you through the words of someone else in a way that alone, in your own head, in your own circumstances, you simply could not come up with the words. And it's just a beautiful, witness that the Holy Spirit uses someone else to begin to not. Pray about your situation maybe, or maybe they do. But it begins to give you words or a fresh view and I think that is so important. You know, scripture tells us to bear one another's burdens. It tells us to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. And we have done that together. Many, many times we have wept. I wanna tell a story about Margaret that I love, and this is, this goes to the confidentiality and the trust that. You have and someone that you pray regularly with. I called her one morning, it was before school started, and in my life at that time, in that moment, it felt like the ship was going down. I mean, I was Margaret and I started to try to tell her what all had happened. I was well, but just all in a panic, and she said, Jan, I do not need any circumstances. God knows exactly, and I will pray, and I'll never forget that because maybe I'm just now realizing this. Maybe that's when a. You know, you go from faith to faith. Maybe that's when I began to realize the circumstances are not the issue. It's given them over to God. That is the issue. So all these years later, thank you for that. It was such a valuable lesson. That would be the Lord. It is, but it's also a good teaching tool. Like just remember, you don't have to know people's circumstances. To pray effectively for them, you carry them. I love this verse. Hebrews chapter four 16, we get a literal invitation to come into his presence and it says, let us therefore come boldly. To the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need if that is not the most comforting personal invite into the throne room of heaven, where we don't need to be timid or shy or afraid. But he says, come boldly and we bow before a throne of grace. Just God's gracious, great love and favor towards his children where we obtain mercy. And find grace to help. He knows we need help. He's just waiting for us to come and ask for that help. So I just really am grateful that you knew. How to go to the Throne of grace on behalf of me and my family and many, many others, and for all that taught me about the Lord

Margaret: 23:45

God is so gracious and good. It's through prayer that our relationship with the Lord worked out and grows. But it deepens our earthly relationships with our families, with our spouse, with our children, with a prayer partner. It's just a beautiful, beautiful opportunity to have a richness and a depth in relationships that God I know desires for us to have in him.

Jan Harrison: 24:15

that's such a beautiful reminder too. we all are seeking deeper, more meaningful relationships, and we talk a lot. We use a lot of buzzwords, vulnerability, and authenticity. And yet there is so much hesitation, often in our most intimate relationships to pray. Was it hard to learn to pray? With your spouse or with your children.

Margaret: 24:47

I do think that is sometimes a harder place, but I just, I do wanna encourage anyone listening or listeners, Jan, that if. You're thinking right now as you're listening, well, it's not likely I would pray with my husband, or That doesn't seem like a possibility. Just begin to ask God to work in, in, in your heart and in your life to give him grace and just make it a prayer focus that would be something you all could do together. Maybe even with families that have. Younger children. Mm-hmm. I was thinking about the Lord's Prayer and how powerful that is, and that it's what Jesus gave the disciples when they ask him to pray and, and maybe. It would be something you could start with your husband together. Pray the Lord's Prayer before we go to bed or before we start our day.

Jan Harrison: 25:49

I think that's such a great suggestion because the fear of being vulnerable, the fear of not having the right words, the fear that maybe you as a wife are, more spiritually. Immersed in the spiritual community that puts you in a place that can make your husband feel very uncomfortable. But to go to something that is so precious, I mean, when Jesus disciples said, Lord, teach us how to pray, he taught them the Lord's prayer. When you pray, pray like this, and that is something that's familiar and it's so deep. And so rich and so wide, and even if you begin to almost pray out of rote, if you have prayed as you suggested, that God would just cultivate that heart, God will start to use those words and it will be more than memorization something that you've heard in church time and time again. I love that call to go back to some of the, more liturgical, maybe we would think of, um, reciting the 23rd Psalm. That is, why do we reserve that for funerals? I mean, why not start there with praying that the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want? And talking with your children about that, that would be such a great place to just start and share and show them how to make that personal in their lives. what are some other things you think of that would help people begin to pray again to enrich those? Interpersonal relationships that they care so deeply about.

Margaret: 27:36

You mentioned children and I, for those who have little ones at home, I just don't think you can start too early for prayer to become something. Just as you said, Jan at, at such a young age. They're little prayer books that you can get and just to make that a priority or even. Throughout the day for for moms to just stop and say, oh, let's thank God for the beautiful trees, the flowers, the butterfly, that as it becomes something that's part of the rhythm and the routine, and it's not just something at church or something at bedtime, or something at mealtime, those little hearts will begin to become very familiar and very in tune with the idea of prayer. as children are older and mine were, uh, they weren't three when. Mm-hmm. So it gets a little harder when they're 15 or so. but as they would mention challenges or things that were going on, I could just say, son, I'm praying for you. Mm-hmm. And I know it brought comfort and slowly it became where I could say, may I pray for you? Now I can say, may we pray together? So God just grows that. He just grows it. It's never too late. Never, never too late. And wherever some of the listeners might be, there may be someone out there who's children are grown and prayer is always near and dear to God's heart, and it moves his hand.

Jan Harrison: 29:19

So as we wrap up our conversation together today, hopefully we have been able to really encourage our listeners that we're not special. We are not, um, we weren't holy rolling. We were just trying to keep our chin above water, and I know that's exactly where a lot of people are and it's where. I am still many, many days. And again, what a lifeline it was to begin to pray. You know, Margaret, the other day, you and I were talking a little bit and you brought up something that I thought was powerful. just. To remind our listeners as we start talking about what can you do now we've given you some tips, but you shared with me something you had read and the reminder of when we pray, would you share that with the audience?

Margaret: 30:18

It was a verse that has, I've read before, but it just really. Became alive to me when I read it most recently. And it's, it says, when you pray and ask in Jesus' name, believe that you will receive and it will be granted to you. And I realized, Jan, that there's really my part and God's part, and my part is when I pray to believe. That I will receive when I pray in his name and his will, and his part is to grant my petitions, and I don't know when that might be, and I don't know how that might look. That's God's part, his sovereign loving part in my prayer life. But my part is to believe. And carry that biblical hope in his goodness that he hears and that he answers.

Jan Harrison: 31:29

That's so powerful. My question is, why would we not pray? He said, when. You pray? Not when you think about it, not when you worry about it, not when you talk about it, not when you just keep it on your mind all the time, but when you pray about it, Margaret, this has been so rich and so special. I would like to ask you to close and just pray over this group.

Margaret: 32:03

I would be honored to do it. Let's pray. Oh, father God, we just, Thank you and praise you that we have the privilege of coming to your throne of grace, that we have the privilege, Lord, of praying and connecting our heart to your heart. And Lord, I just wanna lift up. Every single person that is listening right now, father, I just hold them up and ask that you would. Move in their life and in their heart to know that you long to hear from them, to hear the cry of their heart. That it's not a performance, it's not a skill, it's a heart connection and it's an expression of love between you and your children. So Father, I just pray for every single person that as a result of just this time together, that they would. Take an action, a step in a prayer journey with you, Lord, wherever they might be. We're all in different places, but Lord, I just pray that each and every person would resolve to, Take that next step, whether it's the beginning step or a growing step, whatever it might be. I ask Father that their prayer life, that their connection with you would grow richer. It would grow deeper, and it would continue to grow richer and deeper as they put their hand in yours and their foot on that prayer journey to grow and to mature and to fully. Fully come into all that you have for them and ask these things in Jesus' name,

Jan Harrison: 34:05

amen. Today you have been given a lot of practical and very useful ways to begin to establish your own prayer life. Strengthen yourself in prayer. I'm gonna encourage you now, grab a notebook or a journal and start to keep an account or a record today. There's no time like now, remember we talked about, Jesus said, When you pray, and I'm going to emphasize to you when, so today is the day. Don't go another prayerless day and watch for your heart to begin to change. Psalm 34, verse four and five says, I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all of my fears. They looked to him and were radiant and their faces were not ashamed. You know what makes you radiant and you know what takes away that, that shameful, just doubting look from your face is simply learning to cry out to God and give your cares and concerns. Over to him and you will be able to say, he delivered me. He might not fix the problem today, but he will deliver you from your fear. Thank you for joining me. I'm rooted and radiant. Now let's all go cultivate our spiritual lives to become rooted in the word of God and radiate his joy.