Last night during our prayer time in the evening service, I mentioned a couple of specific needs of people in our fellowship.  One happened to be concerning a wreck that had occurred earlier.  (By the way, the little girl that was injured is doing much better.)  The other had to do with Dan Queen who has had a bone marrow transplant is coming home after spending over 100 days at Duke.
As people gathered around the altar I know that there were many more names that were lifted to the Lord.   A person who was in our church for the first time mentioned to me today how much that meant to them.  He said it was great to see a place where prayer for specific needs is such a priority.
Both of those families have mentioned to me how they have felt the power of those prayers.  It is important that we be specific in our prayer because our God cares about individuals and the challenges that we face.  We should never take for granted the opportunity that we have to pray for others.  We need to keep a prayer list and call that list out to the Lord regularly.
I want you to know how much I appreciate the prayers of many of you for me personally.  It is such an encouragement and challenge to me.  Others feel the same way.  God wants us to be specific.