Pray with Me
by Cynthia Bezek, editor of Pray!
Our prayer drive ended at a mountain vista from which we could see most of the Las Vegas valley. The 20-person prayer troupe and I (members of the Denominational Prayer Leaders�?Network [DPLN]) fell silent as we observed the glitzy city with its conspicuous sin and hidden pain. Russ, a local church prayer leader who served as our guide, broke the silence. He described the people his church ministered to–many of them still blinded by the enemy’s lies, others of them wonderfully redeemed and restored.

Standing on either side of Russ, we physically upheld his arms as we prayed for his city. We felt like Aaron and Hur might have as they undergirded Moses�?arms and interceded for a different battle on a different hill (Ex. 17:11-12).

The next day we told Russ that praying with him had been the highlight of our annual DPLN meeting.

“It was the highlight of my life,�?he said simply.

What is it about praying in person with a battle-weary friend that is so powerful and encouraging? I don’t really know. I do know that I’m grateful for anyone who prays for me and for the ministry of Pray!* And those prayers count—Scripture is very clear that one does not need to be physically present to intercede effectively. However, the prayers that most powerfully affect me are usually the ones in which someone prays not only for me, but also with me.

Seeing how much our hands-on prayer meant to Russ in Las Vegas last month inspires me to look for more in-the-moment opportunities to lift other believers�?hands in prayer. How about you?

*Pray! needs prayer. If you'd like to join our team of intercessors who pray regularly for the ministry of Pray!, send an email indicating your interest to [email protected] (put "Pray! Prayer Shield" in the subject line). We’ll make sure that you get our bimonthly prayer updates.