The Power of Seven

I am sure you are wondering why would a person needing prayer is asked to pray for seven other people. You are probably thinking I am not worthy. I can do little for myself right now let alone something for someone else. I know that the majority of my prayers were answered and miracles happen when I was praying for someone else.

The number of people to pray for when requesting prayer, was an answer to a prayer laid before the Lord. The prayer was as simple as this. "Lord, I honor you and love. I wish to be obedient to the call you have laid upon my life, but, where will I find the workers. Where will I find the people to pray for those in need?" His answer was "from the people requesting the prayers." The next question was how many people shall each pray for Lord? The answer was "Seven". The requirement for seven to pray for is in obedience to the Lord. Nothing more. It is not a secret way to get your pray answered. It is not a requirement of giving to receive. It is a humble obedient answer to God and to do as he commissioned us when He walked here on earth. "Love our neighbors as our selves" "to pray for our enemies" To ask of nothing for ourselves that we would not ask him for our neighbor"

We know and understand that at times it may be difficult and not every person will follow through with praying for all seven people. We want you to know that Gods grace is sufficient for you. It is between you and him. Praying for seven others is not a requirement to have prayer answered it is a loving act of obedience to your father. Praying for seven is an opportunity to humble ourselves and exercise our faith for others in our moments of need and place those who may have been last first in our lives.

One of my Prayer Partners sent me this story about the number seven. I had a personal experience with seven in February of 1994. I had only been active again in the church for guess what seven months. I had gone back to the church out of humility and need. Everything in my life was failing. My husband was going to prison. I had no job. I was depressed. Worse than that, I was angry.

There was a woman involved with my Husband at this time in his life who played a great role in the events leading up to his conviction. I was ready to divorce him and to be honest even though I had given my life back to the Lord. I wanted to be rid of both of these people in my life. God however had other plans.

These other plans were divulged to me via prayer over long periods of time. With John -Not a Real Name- my husband God changed my heart and brought me to forgiveness through his spirit. It happened one night when I was laying in my bed talking and whining to God about my life, my frustrations over relationships and so on and so forth. God had kept nudging me to pray for John and I had exhausted all I knew to do. When I told the Lord or asked to be released from praying for John. He said no. I said then Lord would you do the praying for me? You have my voice but, I need you to give me the words and to clear my heart. I offer you me as a vestible to pray for John through. Next thing I knew I was praying and the words were not mine. He had sent his spirit to do the work through me. Healing truly began in mine and Johns relationship that moment yet it was not complete.

That is when the Lord told me I had to start praying for the woman. I could hardly stand that thought. I did everything I could to fight that. I even called My Pastor up late at night whining to him about it. I refused to discuss it again with God. I don't know for sure how long I went on being stubborn but, it could not have been to long. When I told My Pastor. How frustrated I was and how I felt like there was a huge wall in my life that could not be removed because of the anger I felt for this woman.

That is when My Pastor asked me this, "Do you know how the walls of Jericho came down?" I told him yep. They marched around Jericho for seven days and on the last day they marched seven times and the walls fell in and destroyed the enemy." That is when he told me this "Shelle, that woman is not your enemy that wall is" Now we could go on talking here and blame ol' Satan for all this but, that guy had no authority I had not given him in this situation and I had to do something to get it out. That is when My Pastor asked me if I could humble myself and pray for this woman whenever I drove through were she lived. Not only was I to pray for her I was to drive around her block that she lived on seven times while I was praying for her. I know it sounds crazy but, I did that once a month for seven months. Now get this, I started doing this in February of 1994. It was in February of 2001 that I received a call from this woman and she asked both my husband and me to forgive her. She had given her life to the Lord too and I had long since forgiven her.

Is all that crazy or what? NO!!! It is Gods grace and mercy at work and the power of his word. Seven for some reason completes and brings about perfection at the same time.

Here are just a few examples of seven doing that.

Did you know that the US was born in 1776? Can you find 3 seven's in that? (Yep that is a trick question)

SEVEN is found 735 times in the Bible. SEVENFOLD is mentioned 6 times and seventh is found 119 times.

The SEVENTH time Noah's name occurs is where it is said, "Noah was a just man, and PERFECT in his generations." (Genesis 6:9)

SEVEN times the Book of Life is mentioned in the Bible. The Book of Revelation is a Book of SEVENS. We have SEVEN churches, SEVEN seals, SEVEN Trumpets, SEVEN Personages, SEVEN vials SEVEN dooms, SEVEN new things. SEVEN SEVENS make up this Book. It is the COMPLETENESS of all things.

On the Day of Atonement the high priest sprinkled the blood upon the mercy seat SEVEN times. (Leviticus 16:14) This is a picture of the COMPLETENESS of the redemptive work of Christ

Jesus said seven things on the cross: 1) Luke 23:34 "Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots; 2) Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise"; 3) Matthew 2seven:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eliot, Eliot, lama sabachthani?" -- which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"; 4) John 19:26 "When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son"; 5) John 19:28 "Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 6) John 19:30 "When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit"; and seven) Luke 23:46 "Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last."

Those were just a few thoughts on seven. Would you like a few more? Come back again and we will talk about it some more. In the meantime, don't focus on seven. Just ask him to help you get through those prayers, he will.