2023 FB Prayer Project Progress

Today, May 4th, 2023, is the observed National Day of Prayer. What better time to provide an update on my ongoing 2023 Facebook Prayer Project inspired by Amy Weinland Daughters' book, Dear Dana. (Gold medal winner in the Nautilus Book Awards for memoir) I'm so grateful for stumbling upon Amy's book and for the structure her project lends to mine. I'm now 1/3 through the year and my goal of praying for my Facebook friends. By the end of this week, I will have prayed for 144 individuals.

I have petitioned God's throne for surgeries (breast cancer removal, ACL, and hip replacement), childbirth, and court cases. I have prayed for healing from childhood abuse, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. It has been my privilege to intervene for job concerns and pet losses, for prodigals and missionaries, for course completion and foster parenting. Many praises are trickling in: a child's new job in London, a safe delivery of a first grandchild, and peace in the midst of a horrible-no-good-week.

Settling into a structure has certainly helped to attain my goal of reading less and praying more. Every Wednesday, I draw 8 slips from my bag of Facebook friends' names and alert them to my upcoming week of prayer for them. Next, I take what I know (some respond, but for many, I must scour their wall to find information to lead me) and select a scripture verse to pray for each individual for the rest of that week. Every Saturday, I send a message (a month out) reminding them that they were prayed for and alerting them to the verse I selected to accompany my prayers. This is also when I offer to place needs on an ongoing prayer list and request any information they can give about answered prayer.

I have a set routine. I pray for each individual using a 3x5 card with information including family names of spouses, children, and grandchildren, in addition to any specific prayer requests shared. For some (if hard to glean information) it is hard to fill the time, but I shoot for 3 to 5 minutes per person, 3 times each day (before my morning devotions, some time after noon, and prior to bedtime). Since many do not give any specifics, I have developed two lists of guided prayer topics. When I was using one list of ten topics, my prayers felt too rote and repetitive. Although I originally intended to fast while praying, once a week, I only managed to maintain that for a brief time. Sob!

It is surprising how often my prayers for others' needs reminds me of my own need for the same request. I am equally astonished by the depth some are willing to share and the silence of some I thought would reply. How comforting to know that even when I don't know the details I should provide in my prayers, God is aware of the needs of each individual. And for everyone, I pray that God would bring them into relationship with Him and deepen whatever trust and belief they may already hold. It has been a privilege. The time I've spent has been far more valuable than the time I would've devoted to reading. May you lift prayers to the Father today and may He answer in His perfect wisdom and impeccable timing. Praise God, He is never too soon and never too late.