"That a marvelous thing it is that Christ uses us, His body, to introduce His power to heal into the fabric of everyday life. Whether in a phone call, a chance meeting on the street, in our homes and work places, or within the church walls, bringing the touch of Jesus to others, one prayer at a time, is a profound privilege and wondrous joy for every believer."

Each of us needs the personal touch of Jesus that we receive from one another through prayer. Personal prayer is such a powerful way to touch the lives of those who do not know Christ. A single prayer prayed with the anointing and direction of the Holy Spirit can actually change the course of someone's lives. It can show an unbeliever that Jesus is alive and cares. Therefore, we always need to be ready to pray for others at a moments notice. In traveling to different nations and in meeting all kinds of people, I have experienced the joy and power in praying for people. I am convinced that it is a simple, easy-to-do ministry that we can easily forget or neglect, but has a great impact in the lives of others and carries a great eternal reward. Over and over again, I see God impacting the lives of individuals as a result of the personal touch of Jesus that comes through prayer. Everything changes! Jesus' power brings hope and life to those who do not know Him.

The touch of Jesus through prayer has no limitations. Once my husband and I were walking in France when a man collapsed on the ground nearby. His granddaughter on her bike was crying, people begin to gather around, and he was helpless with his face in the dirt and hardly moving. Not knowing the language, we tried to find out what had happened but with no success. We finally bent down, put our hand on his body and began to pray. After a few minutes, he sat up. An ambulance soon came, he was able to talk, and they took him away in a wheelchair. I believe that our simple prayer made a difference at that moment. Do we realize the power of God that extends to others as we bring the touch of Jesus into the lives of individuals through prayer?

Personal prayer is a key in life both in the area of giving and receiving it. There are times when we feel the attack of the enemy or are going through a low time, where personal prayer is like a breath of fresh air for a weary soul. It can lead us in a new direction, it can encourage our hearts, and it can change the wrong ways we are thinking about our life circumstances. We need people to pray for us. And we also need to be willing to let the Lord use us in our day-to-day encounters with people. There is a man named Gary on the ship we were visiting who is praying for the 300 people on board on a regular basis. He has a list of all their names, he asks various ones for prayer requests, and sometimes he tells them he is praying and finds out how they are doing. He is bringing the touch of Jesus to others in a hidden, unseen dimension that will make a huge difference. Personal prayer ministry is extremely rewarding. When we pray for the lost, they see that God is real for them personally. "There is great joy in knowing that you have made a difference in someone's life - that you prayed a prayer that brought Jesus' life and power into the situation." Jan Niel

How to Bring the Touch of Jesus Through Prayer

"Personal prayer ministry is one person ushering another
into God's presence through prayer."
Terry Teykl

• Be aware of the needy world around you - Enter each day with a desire to minister the life of Jesus to others in some way. Pray and ask the Lord, "Who can I minister to today?" "Make me aware of the needs of others, and show me who you want me to pray for." "Lead me to a lost person who is seeking for truth."
  
  
• Expect God to lead you. He will open doors of opportunity - Have an expectant heart, and believe that God wants to use you every day in some way to bless others with the touch of Jesus. Walk through the day with an open heart and a willingness to serve others through prayer, and the Holy Spirit will guide and give you opportunities.
  
  
• Ask God for guidance and learn to listen and wait - "When we pray for others, we need to wait upon God for guidance. We can't automatically claim God's power is present to heal and plow through someone's pain with assurance our Father may not be giving. Often when we listen to the Holy Spirit, He will lead us to pray along a completely different track." God will guide you in prayer that will touch deeply into the spirit of others. Learning to wait before praying has helped me so much in praying the prayers God desired rather than ones I thought were important.
  
  
• Go forth in faith, and ask individuals if you can pray for them - "Jesus sees our willingness to bring people to Him as an act of faith. He loves to reward the small seed of faith that we demonstrate when we choose to pray for someone else." We train others in prayer evangelism and encourage people to pray for the felt needs of their neighbors. Many are afraid, because they think that lost people don't want prayer. Actually the opposite is true. People in the world are more willing for us to pray for them than we realize. We must be courageous and ask if there is anything we can pray for. Try it, and I believe you will be surprised at the response.
  
  
• Realize that spiritual needs are the most important - Many times physical and emotional problems are connected to the spiritual realm so be sure to pray through possible areas of sin and any strategies of the devil. Often someone comes to me with a surface problem, and I find a spiritual stronghold at the core. When we pray about the spiritual stronghold and bring it before the cross, we find that the surface problem takes care of itself.
  
  
• If God reveals a course of action, encourage the person to follow through with it - "Sometimes as we listen and wait on the Lord, he will reveal a course of action for the person we're praying for. It may be confession and renunciation of sin, restitution toward others, affirmation of a biblical truth, or some other act of obedience. Here we need to take a step back and encourage that person to follow the Lord to complete the healing He desires."
  
  
• Stop when you are done - Sometimes we try to help the Holy Spirit, but He may want the person to step out on their own. We need to know when we are finished. "We must allow them to take the action Jesus has laid out for them, lest they lose the ground they have gained."
  
  
• Keep your motives pure, making sure God gets the glory - Personal prayer ministry changes lives. We want God to be glorified. "Pride can't fit in a heart that's full of praise and wonder at the God who answers prayer." Let us continually give God praise and thanksgiving after we have ministered in prayer to others, knowing that it was all His work and we were His privileged vessels.
  
  "As we learn to minister like Jesus, we will listen more and talk less, wait longer, and make fewer proclamations. When we can see what the Father is up to, we find a new authority and power in personal prayer ministry." Unnamed quotes by Tricia Rhodes

  ". . . and all who touched Him were healed." Matthew 14:36
  

Lighthouse Prayer E-Course Links and Resources

• Lighthouse E-Course Introduction
• Bringing the Touch of Jesus through Prayer
  
• Essentials of a Lighthouse Lifestyle
• Lighthouses of Prayer
• Prayerwalking
• Principles of Prayer for a Lighthouse Lifestyle
• Biblical Principles for a Lighthouse Lifestyle
• Starting a Lighthouse Prayer Meeting
• Simple Steps in Establishing a Lighthouse

For more information on the Lighthouse Movement, see www.lighthousemovement.com.