Turnarounds Through the Power of Prayer

Inspiration MinistriesBy Inspiration Ministries6 Minutes

Because of your financial Seeds, God is mightily using the prayer ministers at our Inspiration Prayer Center to release the saving and healing power of Christ to people around the world.

When 10-month-old Makaila was rushed to the hospital because of fluid in her lungs, her great grandmother, Catherine, knew the situation called for intense prayer. She immediately called the Inspiration Prayer Center and spoke with a prayer minister who quickly responded to her need.

“As the prayer minister prayed, I felt much comfort and peace, knowing that God had heard our prayers, and little Makaila would receive healing,” Catherine wrote in a praise report sent to Inspiration Ministries. Within just three days, Makaila was healed — bouncing and jumping on the hospital bed. She was released the next day.

“Whenever I have a situation that needs prayer, I know I can call to ‘touch and agree’ with your prayer ministers,” Catherine said. “Praise God!”

Every day, partners like Catherine contact Inspiration Ministries with urgent prayer requests. The prayer ministers are on the front lines of spiritual warfare, offering intercessory prayer to hundreds of thousands of people each year who are seeking a breakthrough from God in their health, finances, or relationships.

In addition, the prayer ministers have led many to faith in Christ. When callers pray the prayer of salvation, the prayer ministers clap and ring a gold bell that sits on each of their desks. “That’s our way of celebrating with them,” says prayer minister Heather Prince. “We know we can’t save them, but we can pray for them and know they’ll receive a new beginning by the power of God.”

Heather says nothing really can prepare a person to work as a prayer minister. “I felt unprepared for this job when I started,” she says. “But God told me, ‘That’s a good thing. You’re going to be ministering in the power of My Spirit.’”

Prayer ministers Homer Buffington Jr. and Brenda Ray also give God the praise for using them to touch people’s lives.

“It’s exciting to watch God use us to release His Kingdom authority, healing people and bringing them to Christ,” says Homer. “Through God’s power, we help to set the captives free!” he reports.

Brenda, who served as a pastor’s wife and evangelist before joining the Inspiration Ministries prayer team, has seen countless lives transformed: “We’re speaking the Word of God into people’s lives. This is truly the work of the Lord.”

However, sometimes doing God’s work can seem overwhelming. Callers have lots of needs that don’t always get resolved or healed overnight. It can be draining to pray, day after day, for turnarounds in people’s health or finances.

“Most of the prayer requests are for physical healing or financial breakthroughs,” Homer says. “It can be a challenge to come up with something fresh to say, and often we must pray against the obstacles that are blocking a person’s miracle.”

Brenda agrees that sometimes it can feel like a heavy load to pray for desperate people. “Your heart breaks when you hear what they’re going through,” she says. “But you have to realize that you’re not the one to carry that burden. You have to give it to the Lord. There’s no way we could do this without the anointing of the Holy Spirit.”

The needs of some callers are so severe that the prayer ministers must join together in their prayers. For example, when praying with someone who is considering suicide, a prayer minister puts up a red flag at their desk. “The flag alerts us that it’s a life and death situation,” Brenda explains. “Everybody joins in praying when that kind of call comes in.”

Sometimes even the prayer ministers need extra prayer. “If someone has been drained by a particularly difficult call, they can take a moment by themselves to recharge,” Justin says. “We’re also ready to pray and support each other whenever a need arises.”

It’s not always easy to intercede for people’s desperate situations, day in and day out. But the Inspiration prayer ministers don’t see their work merely as a job — it’s a calling. “We get joy in knowing that we’re sharing the ministry of Jesus,” Brenda relates. “It’s like we’re joining hands with Jesus and connecting our partners to the Father.”