This past Sunday we walked into Jesus words in Luke 22:31 where Jesus told Peter, "Satan has asked to sift you like wheat." Sifting was a grueling process of crushing, beating and trampling of wheat. That was coming at Peter. Most often when people go through sifting they are unaware of the spiritual battle and begin to "act weird" (anger, frustration, irritable, full of fear, controlling, etc).
Praying for people who are being sifted begins with us recognizing that a person may be in a spiritual battle whether they know it or not. We must begin to see beyond the moment to the spiritual challenges and implications. That alone is a prayer, for the Lord to help us to see beyond what frustrates us about another.
The second step is to reflect on what you may know the person is going through. That reflection typically must be slowly thinking and praying, allowing the Lord to speak to you about the focus of your prayer. You might see they are fearful and begin to think what might be causing that and what that fear may cause them to do.
Then, once we have entered with our hearts into their lives we are ready to pray. Ask the Lord to be real to them, to protect them, to send others who will speak words of love, encouragement, etc. Pray they will not make life ruining choices while they are being sifted. Ask the Lord to bless them and take a moment to think what that blessing might be that would meet their need.
We've made a commitment at GraceRiver to not be in the face of someone being sifted but be on our faces (in prayer) for them. That is the hardest prayer but maybe the most significant.
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