Holding Up Each Other's Arms

One thing, among many others, that I love about the ministry of Moms in Prayer International is that other moms are essentially holding up my arms, like Aaron and Hur did for Moses in Exodus 17:8-16. Joshua and the Israelites were down on the battlefield. Up above lifting the standard, the rod of God, was Moses. But Moses became tired.

You'd think it would be a simple thing to hold up the standard of God in prayer. But, the enemy is tricky and this is his world, for now. He can affect our thinking and our physical being and bring us to a place of exhaustion in prayer faster than a runner in a 25 mile marathon.

 

So, we need to hold up each other's arms. I think that is one of the reasons that we are told in the New Testament to not forsake assembling together. It is similar to what Proverbs 27:17 tells us, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." (HCSB)

 

This past week, I took a brand new Bible and marked out every verse I'd prayed for my daughter in the 21 years I have prayed with other moms in Moms in Prayer groups. The Lord has heard my voice AND the voice of other moms praying each of those verses, His own words, back to Him. I believe that He looks at my daughter with those Scriptures on His mind, with all our voices ringing in His ears.

 

As I flipped through those Prayer Sheets (I'd saved them from week one), I was also reminded of all the wondrous deeds—answers to prayer—that I have seen over the years and am still seeing. Not one of them was "lost" or went unheard…and not just for my daughter. My God is working in the lives of all those children whose names are on those pages.

 

In fact, Revelation 8:3-5 seems to indicate that our prayers are incense before the Throne and are used to do powerful things on earth.

 

So, when we are tempted to "forsake assembling together," we must deliberately recall to mind the power of holding up each other's arms. Me holding up your arms. You holding up my arms.