I had a moment a few weeks ago where I must confess to feeling overwhelmed. But in that moment, I realized a spiritual truth in a poignant way. What taught me the lesson?
A texted prayer request.
The end of December through the first of January were some especially difficult times for our church family. I am so thankful for many in the family who showed such wonderful love and care of others in the family who were hurting. It was such a blessing to see family love in action as the sick were tended to by others. But, to say the least, there were MANY needs going on at the same time.
My “trigger” moment came after the second or third juggled phone call, voice mails needing returned, emails, and text messages dinging my phone. The text started with the words, “Please pray for…” At the time the text came through, I was already praying for various needs and people. This wasn’t the first addition to the prayer list on that particular day, either. Other prayer requests had come in while I was praying and this was just the latest.
Overwhelmed! It’s the only word I can think to describe how I felt in that moment. I asked the Lord, “How in the world can I keep up with everything needing prayer?” This was not a complaint. I was just – gotta say it again! – overwhelmed with the thought of so many needs, so many people hurting, and so many different things going on. It never ends or slows down.
The answer to my prayer was almost immediate as the Lord filled my heart and mind with a thought. Luke 11:1 says, “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” The disciples never said, “Lord, teach us to preach, teach, sing, feed the multitudes, heal the sick, witness, give, or serve.” They only wanted to be taught how to pray.
One of the shortest verses in the Bible is 1 Thessalonians 5:17. “Pray without ceasing.” I may be wrong, but I can’t think of any other act of service that we are told to do without ceasing. We are never told to work without ceasing nor any of the other things just mentioned: preach, teach, sing, feed the multitudes, etc. Praying, though, is to be done without ceasing.
Putting my overwhelmed mind together with the fact that we are to pray without ceasing and the light bulb came on. Nobody can do the other things without ceasing. It’s not possible. But, we can be in a state of prayer all the time, bringing requests into the throne room of God. This is the job an invalid can do as well as the person that is able bodied. When we awaken in the night, pray. When we are driving, pray. When we are in a store, pray. When we are mowing the lawn, pray. When we are sitting in school, pray. When we are at a machine at work, pray. Prayer is the ultimate multi-tasking skill! All that is required is our availability to pray.
My feeling of being overwhelmed melted away with an excitement as I realized that the greatest ministry to which God has called His church is the ministry of prayer. Something erupted in my heart as I thanked the Lord for the privilege to pray for people and the needs that are presented.
I am grateful that God never gets overwhelmed as He hears millions of prayers at once. I 
am thankful that we have a personal God who treats us personally. We are not His project. We are not a number or a line item in a prayer bulletin. We are His beloved children.
Charles Stanley said, “Prayer is the link between God’s inexhaustible resources and people’s needs…God is the source of power, but we are the instrument He uses to link the two together.” Let’s be that instrument to link God’s resources with someone’s need.
“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another … continuing instant in prayer…” (Romans 12:10-12)
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