Waking up to pray

[Marsha Mundy]

Have any of you been woken up by God in the middle of the night to pray for something specific? Share your experience.

[Jennifer Weed]

Hi Marsha, That has happened to me lots of times. And anytime I wake up for seemingly no reason, I pray for anyone who comes to mind. But I have one specific incident that sticks out from the rest. It was back in 2000, I woke up in the middle of a Thursday night with a burden to pray for my pastor. I prayed for quite some time - specifically praying for protection over his family. After a while (I can't remember how long now), the burden lifted and I was able to go back to sleep. The next Sunday, our pastor happened to mention his son being very sick with a high fever on Thursday night and how it suddenly broke. I couldn't believe it! After church, I went up and asked him about it. I was praying at the very time they were dealing with his son's high fever, and the my burden to pray lifted at the same time that his fever broke! Praise the Lord!!!

[Marsha Mundy]

That is so wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Jennifer. It is encouragement for us to follow God's lead and be obedient.

Jennifer Weed said:

Hi Marsha, That has happened to me lots of times. And anytime I wake up for seemingly no reason, I pray for anyone who comes to mind. But I have one specific incident that sticks out from the rest. It was back in 2000, I woke up in the middle of a Thursday night with a burden to pray for my pastor. I prayed for quite some time - specifically praying for protection over his family. After a while (I can't remember how long now), the burden lifted and I was able to go back to sleep. The next Sunday, our pastor happened to mention his son being very sick with a high fever on Thursday night and how it suddenly broke. I couldn't believe it! After church, I went up and asked him about it. I was praying at the very time they were dealing with his son's high fever, and the my burden to pray lifted at the same time that his fever broke! Praise the Lord!!!

[Carrie G]

One of the first times I was aware that this happened to me, I woke up in a fierce panic attack. I couldn't explain it, and really couldn't calm down at first. I wasn't understanding yet, what God had in mind. That morning, a friend came over, and asked if I knew about the bomb that had gone off at the Olympic park in Atlanta. I had not heard about it yet, and when I asked when it happened, the time coincided with the time I had woken up. She didn't even blink. She already understood that God was working in me that way. She had witnessed another time God called me to pray, and so she understood what I did not yet.

I was awake several hours early on September 11th, 2001. What happened in New York was early enough for us in Alaska that most people didn't know for several hours. Again, I didn't understand that I was being asked to pray, yet that morning I sat before the TV and prayed.

I'm more aware now, and more willing to pray, and sometimes I'll learn the reasons why and sometimes I won't. Being willing to pray, though, is the most important part. I also need to allow the Spirit to pray through me...even if I don't understand what I'm praying for. I appreciate having this space to learn with others and pray with others now, and appreciate the chance to share a piece of my story.

And yes, being nudged to pray for specific things happens in the day too. :)

Thank you for asking, Marsha.

[Lewis Turner]

I have experienced a time where I could not sleep. The Lord brought things to my mind to pray over and later share and act on. I had to go and write them down. Everything was supported by scripture. That is a test I apply when I hear something--is it in line with God's word?

After I sought how to pray and what to do, I wrote it down (Hab 2:2).

Then I was able to go back to sleep.

[Nolee Feiock]

I have indeed. In these days of national turmoil, I find that I wake with a prompting to pray for this country, to turn it around to God and make our leaders irritated in their hearts to turn around to honestly and integrity.

[Jennifer Hogge]

Yes, definitely. Sometimes, I wake up with a particular person on my mind. I just pray at that time for them not knowing exactly what I am praying for them about. There have been times when I awake the next morning and check my email to find a message waiting for me from that particular person. The time on the email is usually close to the time I woke with them on my mind. I consider this confirmation that I was to be praying at that time and that God was working.

[Faye Thomas]

Blessings in the precious name of Lord Jesus,
I remember when the Lord would wake me up at 3:16 am for several days..then I asked the Lord what was it...and my spirit was flooded with a request from heaven. Every morning at this hour I was to blow my rams horn quiety and pray for the Lost tribe of Israel..the more I prayed information started coming my way from others on the tribe of Ephriem and all the story that went with all this. I am not Jewish and had no idea what the word in my spirit was until I struggled to spell it and look the word up on google! My intercession became so heavy that many days I was still praying when the sun came up..then The Lord after one year had me stop...during this time I was never tired and it felt like I had had plenty of rest.!

[laura poirier]

Once in the middle of the night I was impressed with "Spiritual Warfare". When I went upstairs to my prayer room to put in a cd and grab my Bible i noticed my son on the computer. I told him -spiritual warfare. He turned off the computer and left the room. I found out later that he had an issue with pornography. Praise God for the heads up!

[Vicki Normoyle]

Like Jennifer, when I awaken during the night I pray for anyone who comes to mind. There are other times when I have been praying about a specific person or situation during the day that I'm awakened during the night (sometimes several times) to pray for them. I participate in providing prayer support for a ministry team that goes to Liberia once a year; I wake up almost every night they are there, I look at the time, figure out the time in Liberia and what they are doing and pray for them.

[Bill G.]

About 2 1/2 years ago, I had a dream that Jesus was standing beside our bed. All He said was: "My house shall be called a house of prayer". Ever since then, I have felt compelled to pray more than ever. He seemed to impress on me the need for the Church to begin preparing because of difficult times. Exactly what this all means, I am still not sure. Anyone else out there with similar experiences?

[Lewis Turner]

Bill,

I have had that impression--but never a vision or dream like you. I however sense very strongly that the Lord's Heart yearns for the churches to turn again to prayer. Yet, our seminaries offer only none to one prayer course, maybe some offer three prayer courses. I have seen the syllabus from a good seminary that integrated prayer into their courses, but never enough so to encourage a prayer culture. No wonder our pastors spend time ministering rather than going to the Lord first and encouraging their people in their congregation to seek the Lord first in all things in prayer and give opportunity to join together in prayer.

My heart yearns to see prayer in the forefront of churches.

Lewis Turner

Bill G. said:

About 2 1/2 years ago, I had a dream that Jesus was standing beside our bed. All He said was: "My house shall be called a house of prayer". Ever since then, I have felt compelled to pray more than ever. He seemed to impress on me the need for the Church to begin preparing because of difficult times. Exactly what this all means, I am still not sure. Anyone else out there with similar experiences?

[Jennifer Weed]

Wow, Bill! That's incredible! It was about that time, if I'm remembering correctly, that our pastor shared the call He heard from God that our church was to become a house of prayer. We have been pursuing God through congregational prayer summits, family prayer summits, and just asking to see His face, and for Him to make our church a house of prayer, ever since. God is SO amazing! His plans and purposes are SO much bigger than we can even fathom. I love it when He lets us see some of the connecting pieces of His Bride, the Church, as He works in us to accomplish His will on earth as it already is in Heaven. Praise His holy name!

Bill G. said:

About 2 1/2 years ago, I had a dream that Jesus was standing beside our bed. All He said was: "My house shall be called a house of prayer". Ever since then, I have felt compelled to pray more than ever. He seemed to impress on me the need for the Church to begin preparing because of difficult times. Exactly what this all means, I am still not sure. Anyone else out there with similar experiences?