Bless-Be in Prayer

Last week I shared an acrostic called BLESS we use for building relationships and friendships with the families of whom we provide home repair. BLESS stands for, “Be in Prayer, Listen, Eat, Share Your Story, and Serve”. Each element frames around relationship almost giving us permission to serve. From an evangelistic perspective, you could switch the two “s’s” so that you did not share your faith story until you had accomplished the other tenants. I guess it depends on your context.

Being in prayer before you serve someone elevates our action into the realm of where the Holy Spirit works. How do we pray? Why should we pray? I take my lessons from James 5:13-18.

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+5&version=NIV

1) Before the mission team arrives, we send them a short bio of the family or families they will meet. It describes how many people live at the home, if there are any children, and where their family worked. Favorite movie, tv show, and hobbies are listed. We will also share the types of repairs the group will be doing such as repairing a roof and if their family has any medical or health issues. All of these lay a ground work to guide prayers. Prayers to find common ground, for healing and God’s provision.

2) Beginning in prayer before the mission team arrives prepares their hearts. Servant leaders take on the mantle of the basin and towel. They pray for the Spirit to soften their hearts, open their minds, and come with an attitude to learn. We invite and challenge them to see the circumstances of justice and mercy. Prayers make us answer hard questions of why people are poor and under resourced and what continues to promote this. We ask them to pray to be givers and receivers.

These all happen before the mission team arrives! Once they get to Tuskegee or Livingston, the next stage begins.

3) Beginning in prayer has many elements. On their first day and each morning, before the mission team loads their vans and trucks and drives to see their families, they center down in a morning watch, then circle up, hold hands and lift up their team and the families.

4) Upon arriving to their work site, they pile out of their vans, stretch and go meet their family. We share names, where we are from and how excited we are to be there. And then, you guessed it, we pray again, this time grasping hands with our family God has led us to.

Prayer is preparing the battlefield. It recognizes we are in partnership with the Spirit and that God’s presence is already with the family. Prayer places a hedge of protection around us. Believe me, the other forces try to hinder us in unique ways-our trucks break down, a tool does not work, a youth gets sick or our family member does not feel well. Prayer invites the Spirit and seeks the Spirit’s power to work this out and overcome!

One of the greatest joys is having a family member, like Ms. Andrea, pray for our team members and seek God’s blessing upon the youth missioners. Being in prayer is powerful and mutual. It must be the first step to Blessing someone else and sensing God’s blessing.

As you serve others, how might God lead you to pray for them today?

On the journey,

lisa