Sometimes it is easier to suffer ourselves than to watch someone we love suffer. And it may be easier to thank God for our own difficulties than to thank Him for the hardships of those we love. We naturally want to spare our loved ones any pain.

Dian Ginter was once the coordinator for the on-site praying at Promise Keepers. She coordinated dozens of people to pray around the clock for every detail of the conferences. Those praying were given three- to four-hour shifts and told specifically the requests to take to the Lord.

One time during the reformation while Melanchthon was preaching, people began throwing sticks and stones. Suddenly they were stopped by a voice coming down the road. Martin Luther came up that dusty road singing in German:

One of the Hebrew words that describes God is Emeth and is often translated as Truth. Moses heard God use this word speaking of Himself: "The Lord, The Lord God...abundant in goodness and truth" (Exodus 34:6 KJV).

Effective prayers in the Old Testament frequently called upon God to protect the honor of His name. Then, as now, Satan is not after us. He is out to make our Lord appear weak, uncaring, and unfaithful.

After Nan had wandered from Christ's teaching, she frequently heard, “You should go to church,” and “You should get saved....” The emphasis was always on her failures, and such talk irritated her. After she returned to God, I asked her what had brought her back. She replied, “I began to hear God say, ‘I love you.’”

Are you praying for a “hopeless” situation? I learned something about this kind of praying by comparing some of the battles of the Israelites.