Keri’s Prayer Closet

I can almost hear the groans when another mug finds its way into my cupboard. “Do you really need another mug?” No, I do not need another vehicle for getting caffeine into my bloodstream. However, quite some time ago, my mug cupboard became my prayer closet. 

As a teacher, I received countless mugs from my students. If you are a teacher, you know… At a point, I began rotating the mugs so every student could see me use their mug. But, of course, there had to be more; there needed to be purpose behind each mug. And so it began, with each mug, a prayer for that student went up to Jesus. 

Fast forward a few years, I was no longer in the classroom, but the mug collection continued. Friends and family have contributed to my prayer closet. Sometimes I pick out a mug, because I want to remember to pray for a particular person. This week my daughter and her husband are driving across country, so I am drinking from my Jordan mug. This weekend, my dear friend is laying her mom-in-law to rest, so I will be drinking from my Marie mug. 

I have a mug from Fort McHenry. When I drink from that cup, I pray for our country, peace, the people and our leaders. The mug from our women’s retreat reminds me to pray for the ladies in our church body and for the speaker who shared her wisdom with us that weekend.

Sometimes I grab the closest mug to the front of the cupboard. When I am using that mug, I will pray for the person associated with it and often take a quick picture and send it as a reminder that I am praying for them. Often when friends grab a cup, they ask “who am I praying for?” 

It doesn’t have to be a mug. It can be a bird, a rainbow, a song, a scent or a picture. But it is always good to have reminders to pray prayers of intercession for the people in our lives. 

True confession, while visiting my college roommate whom I had not seen in about thirty years, we did what all college roomies should do, we went shopping. We hit the outlet mall and had a blast. We both loved the same pair of jeans. Both of us were working on justifying another pair of jeans, really not a need. I got giggly and said, “Let’s both get them; they can be our prayer jeans.” That sealed the deal. We bought the jeans, and you know what? We pray for each other when we wear them. 

What are some things that serve as reminders to pray for your people?

Whether or not you have a mnemonic device (something that triggers your memory) to help you pray, prayer is the greatest gift you can give and the most powerful tool you can use. James five tells us that the fervent prayers of the righteous bring great outcomes. We are righteous through the blood of Jesus, and His ears always hear our prayers.

This is the prayer I am praying for you today:

For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV)