Standing in the Gap of Mystery By Praying for Others

Woman standing in the gap by praying for others

"Standing in the gap" is a Biblical term. I think of it as praying for others and asking for God's wisdom and protection. Sometimes I am compelled to pray without knowing who might be troubled or hurting. The prompt to do so comes as a strong urge and I have learned to take my compulsion to God and ask for His care and direction.

Have you ever had the privilege of someone praying for you when you didn't have the strength to pray for yourself? I have. Many times, so much so that I imagined how such a person might appear through the insufficient medium of watercolor and feeble tools of pencils and brushes.

Notice the slightly oversized arms. This signifies all she is driven to embrace.  Quite naturally her arms adapt.  The splash of red reveals the continuous stab of love she feels for others.  I call it a stab because most often the depth of her love for whoever is privileged to stand in her gaze is greater than the recipient has for themselves. The blue in her brow signifies bruises she has sustained for the highest good of others. 

Nestled in her left hip and brimming up into the center cavity of her frame rests the intricate developing souls for which she constantly travails. Travailing takes a toll. One of her wings has been damaged in the fray.  Even still, she comes often before The Father imploring His best on behalf of others.  Her right arm's t transparency testifies to the painful honesty her intercession requires. As she considers truths - joys, sorrows, failings, triumphs -- wisdom rewards her and as she-- and fa. I can’t decide which I love the most, her lips or eyes. Maybe her eyes. They speak love even when her lips are silent.

Take a moment and consider the impact of your prayers on behalf of others. By your prayers, God's mercy flies into the world. Those weakened by worry, disease, or grief inadvertently borrow your faith and find the courage to face circumstances beyond their control and wait for God's elegant solutions.

Prayer is never wasted. When I pray I remind my soul that God is bigger than the fleeting circumstances that trouble me and others. For now, I live in the gap of mystery and God's gift of faith fuels me with hope. Our Heavenly Father rewards those who ask for His Presence and He shows up. Keep an eye out. You'll be pleasantly surprised.