Christina Hubbard
About the Author

Christina Hubbard is a poet and author, infusing broken stories with hope, beauty, and courage.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. Christina,
    Sometimes I forget what an honor and privilege it is to pray for my friends and those who express needs and heartfelt pain. I think about how brave they are to even ask for prayer or even if they don’t ask, how brave they are to be facing whatever they are facing. The very best thing I can do is let them know they are not alone. God calls us to be prayer warriors for one another….uttering not timid mouse prayers, but taking others’ burdens boldly before the throne of God and lay them down. Thank you for this much needed call to arms on behalf of my brothers and sisters. In the process, like you so beautifully said, we are blessed as well.
    Blessings,
    Bev

    • It is difficult, yet still a privilege to be able to pray for our friends. The trick is to leave it all with Jesus and not take it on ourselves.

  2. I experienced something similar this spring with a friend who was on the other side of the world and in pain. God gave me a sensitivity to that need that was clearly from Him, and He enabled me to pray for her — to remember and to pray in faith for her need.
    This bond in prayer is such a beautiful picture of sisterhood.

    • My childhood friend of over fifty years passed away three years ago. She lived in my home for the last two years of her life. To watch her during her illness was sometimes depressing. Cancer had ravaged her body. My husband and I took care of her. We prayed for healing but God took her home. There were times I did not know how to pray. All the worry has ended. God is always in control. He has given me peace. I miss her a lot but the memories of our friendship are priceless. Love never dies.

  3. It’s so easy to panic in situations we feel helpless and completely forget about the power of prayer. Shamefully, I often jump straight to worry. Straight to feeling like there’s absolutely nothing I can do. What a beautiful story that encompasses such a reminder that we can do so much more than meeting a physical need, by going to our needs to intercede. <3

  4. Christina, Bev. And. Michele… Thank you , all three for this days message and for your comments. I am someone who is burdened with medical problems galore but so are others, friends of mine who need prayer and peace and hope. I know they are praying for me. And I hope they know I am praying for them. Thank you for this soul searching reminder of how to have His hope and. His peace in all our lives, a gift given to who

  5. it is by putting my unsaved loved ones in God’s hands, it is by placing them at the foot of the Cross that eases my pain and burden for them to come back to their first love, and it is the promise of our Father that He will grant us what we ask for in Jesus name according to His will that gives me hope and lets me claim victory for them, because it is not His will that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, thank God for His promises and thank Him for loving us that He gave His Son to die for us, thank Lord Jesus for being obedient to OUR FATHER, because HE LIVES WE WILL LIVE!!!!!! GLORY TO HIS NAME!!!!!!!!!

  6. Just like you all, I feel so privileged to pray for others – especially those who trust me and ask for prayer about their darkest moments.
    Unfortunately, I find it easy to offer to pray. Following through gets a bit sketchy.
    So, here’s something I learned from Lee Strobel: when someone asks you to pray for them, do it right then. It doesn’t have to be long and emotional; a short, heartfelt prayer in the moment is priceless. Sometimes it shocks people when you simply put your hand on their shoulder and ask for God’s hand of mercy.
    But I believe it’s those sweet moments of authentic and spirit-led conversations with the Father that help keep us connected to each other.
    And, BTW, how do you keep track of prayer requests? xoxox

    • Hi, Nancy, we write them on our back door window as a family. (Although I have to remember to rewrite them with the dry erase crayon after I clean it!) For myself, I often write out a prayer in my journal or text/email the prayer directly to my friend so they know I am praying for them, as you say, right then. (I forget too!) Following up with them in the moment they come to mind helps always too. Thank you for sharing the quote and your thoughts.

    • Nancy,

      Keeping track of prayer requests is quite simple. When at church or out with friends I write prayer requests in a journal. Also I have a word document with the names and requests of friends to pray for. Each day I pray over them. I have had three prayer requests answered this year–for the Good!

      Blessings 🙂

  7. Love this my friend! I did this just this morning and know God is covering those I love and lifted to Him. Great reminder beautifully written!

  8. my brother who is 2yrs younger than me passed away 20yrs ago, he was only 38yrs old, I did not expect him to die that night, earlier in the day I felt the urge to talk to him about making it right with the Lord, the Lord called him home that night, although we grew up in a Christian home with loving Christian parents, we lived our lives differently from the way we were raised, my only comfort was our Heavenly Father, my thoughts were only of how can this be?, God is alive, how can this happen? this cannot happen in our family, one of us cannot be missing, as time passed and I got older, looking back to those years during that time, I thought about my grief and pain and the pain I saw in my parents eyes and watching the rest of my family suffer thru this difficult time, I wondered how did we ever got thru this ordeal? it was years later when I looked back at the way we all got thru that difficult time that I realized we were not alone, even though we had failed our Heavenly Father, He did not fail us, I can only say when we saw only one set of footprints, it was then that He was carrying us all, He was giving us the strength to go on, then came the time my precious Mother got sick 6yrs ago, I went back home to care for her, I watched her health disappeared and she was slipping away from us, even though I was worrying I felt in the back of my mind that she will get over her illness, that she will be strong again after all she was my Mom, she can do anything, she was not only my Mon she was the village’s Mom, after all she cannot leave my Dad, my parents were married for 67yrs. then, to date they would have been married for 72yrs,they have been together most of their lives, my thought was I cannot be motherless, I do not know how to be without a mother, I have to have my mother, my Mom just cannot leave us , then God called her home five years ago, my world has ended, looking back again to those difficult time, I do not have to wonder how we made it through, we knew the loving Arms that carried us when my brother was called home, the same loving Arms carried us again, and slowly accepted the fact that we do not have our precious Mother on earth anymore but we have and always will have a Loving Heavenly Father who will carry us when we cannot go on, yes my sisters In Christ, I thank God for the privilege of prayer, I thank God for strengthening us, I thank Him for the privilege to have and love a family, and I thank Him for the hope we have to be with our loved ones who are called home, I know they are with their Loving Jesus and one day we will all be together again, never to part, Blessings

  9. This post is so timely. I too have a friend who is fighting cancer, for the 8th time, and my heart breaks for her and like you just want to fix it. Thank you for the reminder that I can’t fix it only God can.

  10. I’ve been learning again the power and healing available to us through prayer. God is with us, and prayer is the suit that allows us to dive in to the love and grace that keeps us afloat. So often, I forget that and show up without it. Thank you for this reminder of how to truly help hurting friends.

  11. My heartfelt thanks to all of you for sharing this morning. I also have Lee Strobel to thank for understanding how I need to pray when the need is expressed. Thank you for the reminder; I lose names these days.

    When my youngest daughter received her diagnosis of lung cancer in 2014 she called to tell me. She called each step along the way; how, when she got to the parking lot at the radiation center there would be someone from their church getting out of their car to come and pray with her before they went to work. When the cancer went to her brain she called. Each time I’d hear her voice on the answering machine, ” Mama, pray!” She had been with her dad when he died of brain cancer so she knew what was ahead; (I had not seen him in years). What a blessing to be able to weep with her; pray with her and remind one another that Jesus was walking each step with her. Her journey was eight months from diagnosis to her closing this part of her journey. Now every once in awhile I find myself wondering what Paradise is like; what is she seeing?

    I have been blessed by these (in)courage pieces of your lives for some time now and I thank you for a wonderful start to my day.

  12. Beautifully written girl! Thanks for the reminder to always believe in the power of the one who calms the storm, who is always waiting to intimately connect with us & provide His light, hope & power in & through us! Then to walk courageously in faith!

  13. I so identified with you as I read. I became aware, over 40 years ago, that God had given me the gift of empathy. At times, it hasn’t felt like a gift; I have so entered into the pain of others at various points in my life that it has been almost unbearable. I am in one of those seasons right now. Your post has reminded me once again that He is giving me the burden so that I will lift it up to Him in prayer; especially when it concerns dear people who do not know Him, and who are unable to pray for themselves. Bless you.

    • Esther, so glad you know how to bring it to Him. It’s a burden He helps to free and find our purpose with others. Your friends are blessed to have your presence and His.

  14. Thank you! My 45 yr old daughter in law just passed away after 3+ yrs fighting cancer. She entered into God’s rest knowing she was saved. Now to help her small children to know Our Savior’s grace too!

    I love my long prayer list which I go to each a m .. knowing that God hears every name and will bless them.

  15. I will pray for your friend and others as well, I have praise reports. One of my Pinterest friends has gone back to work after battling two kinds of cancer, my uncle was told he needed prostate surgery, he had radiation, but is cancer free. The best one is my mother who refused to believe the report of stage 4 breast cancer, according to Isaiah 53, she chose to believe in healing power of God. I prayed for her, laid hands on her. She had a hysterectomy because she was run down, but no cancer. That was 12 yrs ago. I’m not especially fond of the term faith healing, but it does take faith. It’s not some great giant faith, although faith is a gift of the spirit, however, it does take a consistent one Being surrounded by love and friends of faith is a blessing. God knows if you can no longer fight but never give up hope , He loves you. Jesus overcame everything for us to live an abundant life.

  16. Thanks for the reminder to release our burdens we carry for others to our Lord. It is hard to see loved ones suffer, but praying for them releases our burdens and theirs. What a privilege we have to pray for those around us. So many times I have prayed and felt like I wasn’t doing enough, and later a sister will call and tell me she had a much better day. No the problem or trial has net been solved, it is still there, but because of prayers is seemed so much lighter and bearable.

    • Theresa, I love what you said. God doesn’t promise to fix it like we want exactly, but He is faithful to answer with His presence. Sometimes that is all we can do.

  17. To have the honor of friends or family calling you to pray – and knowing your prayers will be fervent for them – is a beautiful thing. The trust placed in those called to pray is such a gift from God. Thank you for the powerful reminder that prayer to our loving Heavenly Father never comes back void.

  18. Thanking God for texting! Got two requests for prayers today from friends. And a thank you afterwards. God loves it when we intervene in His name. Thanks Christina.

  19. Christina,

    I was never a “real prayer warrior” so to speak. After watching the movie War Room I realized that prayer is the battle ground upon which to defeat Satan. Since then I have been praying more fervently and consistently. I pray scriptures over my friends, and family. Each time I’m in church I write down prayer requests in a journal or on paper. I keep a word document listing of all requests and pray daily over them. This year alone I have had 4 praise reports. Like the movie I can check those off my list & thank God for His answers.

    Blessings 🙂