There is Power in Numbers

My days normally start the same way. Alexa wakes me up at 7 am. I reach for my laptop and turn on Good Morning America; I'm a writer, so my laptop is always within reach. I then grab my phone and open up the Bible app so that I can read the verse of the day along with the devotional reading from the One Year plan that I'm completing. After I finish reading and giving some encouraging hearts to my YouVersion friends, I lie in bed for a while and just meditate. I'll be honest, most days that meditation leads me back to sleep for an hour or so. My feet normally hit the floor by 9 am. I brush my teeth and wash my face, grab my water tumbler, go downstairs and turn on my Breville while I'm multi-tasking between refilling my tumbler, unloading the dishwasher and grinding my Starbucks espresso beans in preparation for my peppermint white chocolate mocha. This morning instead of unloading the dishwasher I decided to sit in my living room and pray. I actually got down on my knees, using my ottoman as an alter. As I looked around the living room and up to the kitchen area - my living room is sunken - I began reflecting back on the petitions that my kids and I prayed while we were waiting on confirmation that this house would be ours. I thought back to the first day that my oldest daughter and her husband and I came and viewed the home. I thought back to the many days that I would drive over here and sit in the driveway and pray that God would give my family favor, as there were close to a hundred applicants for this same house. The vetting process was long and arduous. I've closed on homes much faster than it took for this. I thought back to my 10 year old son, Carsten, getting on his hands and knees praying for this particular house. He refused to believe that this would not be his home. I thought back to my daughter, Jalyn, encouraging me throughout the process. She would say over and over, "Mom, God is going to give you what you want; don't worry, the house is ours." I thought back to my sister/friend, Jori, who called me up one morning and said, "Sis, I see you in a house that is so huge that you'll have to yell out to get your kids' attention." And then I thought about my own desires; to have more than enough room for my kids and my grandkids when they visit. We have five large bedrooms on two levels and a huge partitioned basement that has enough room to use for pretty much whatever we want. I thought about how easily and quickly I was able to pay the $7k that it cost to secure and move into the home. A few years ago, I would not have had money readily available like that. Since my divorce, God has taught me to store up and invest, maximizing my earnings from my job. As I was on my knees, I began thanking God for giving me everything that I asked him for right down to the quiet and safe neighborhood. I thanked Him for my neighbors, Rudy and Amber, who intercepted a stranger from approaching my door. I thanked Him for my neighbor, Mr. Dennis, who consistently keeps the leaves blown off of my driveway and who opened an invitation for my kids to utilize his two basketball goals at anytime. This nice little man also gave me his ministry card that has his phone number on it if I need him to pray with me for anything. That's a bonus that God added in being the over and above giver that He is.

As I thanked God for all of these things, I thanked Him for my prayer partners who consist of my kids and a couple of very close friends whom I trust to pray for me and my family. There is power in numbers. There is greater power when those numbers are on one accord and in agreement. Solomon, who is known and revered for his great wisdom, said: "Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil, for if they fall one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together they keep warm but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone two will withstand him- a threefold cord is not easily broken." {Ecclesiastes 4:9-12}. Jesus said it this way: "Again I say to you if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." {Matthew 18:19-20}

As I sit here and write this blog, I am thankful for my circle who prayed in agreement with me for this home that I now sit in. I am thankful that on days when I was drained mentally, fatigued from work and low in faith that they consistently stood in the gap and kept the petitions going and refused to waiver or doubt. Today I encourage you to sit and make a short prayer list and write down correlating promises from the Scriptures to back your requests. For instance, if you need healing you may want to write James 5:13-16 next to your request. After you've made your list, pray and then select two friends whom know each other and are comfortable with each other to pray with you. Call or text them individually and ask them first if they will agree to contend with you, not for you, until you have your answers. After they agree, ask them if it is okay if you create a group text with yourself and the other person so that you may send your prayer list to both of them together. Please, please, PLEASE use courtesy and don't just put people in a group text without their permission first. I consider it so very rude to throw me into a group thread with a bunch of random folks without asking me. I ignore texts like that quite often. After you have two friends to agree, send the group text and ask them to send their requests as well. This way you're not just taking, you're also giving. Make sure that as your prayers are being answered that you let your warriors know so that they can stop contending. There is

nothing more rude than to ask someone to sacrifice their time to praying for you and you haven't kept them updated in your progress. Remember to thank them and to thank God for being faithful to be in your midst and for responding to His Word for you. With a number of friends and God on your side, you can't lose.