Hi, and welcome to the Five Word Prayers Daily, a five-day-a-week daily devotional where we share the word, prayers, and our heart.

I'm Lisa Whittle, and I welcome you to just five minutes with me, which I trust and pray will be five minutes well spent.

Okay, so picture this. Someone wants to give you something. You're hesitant, maybe even uncomfortable. Or maybe they want to pay for your dinner or they say these words, hey, can I pray for you? And they want to do it right there on the spot and it just feels really awkward all of a sudden. You might have trouble with something you have never really thought about before. Maybe you're a great giver and you enjoy giving people things,

but you aren't such a great receiver. We need to talk about this one a bit more, I think.

So I know people and you probably do too who have said these exact words, I don't like owing someone.

Maybe you've even said these words yourself.

I know I have.

I don't like borrowing even $5 because knowing me, I'll forget to pay them back.

But some years ago, I realized something about myself, or rather God showed me something about myself, that I had never realized before or really

would have never even thought was even a problem. I am not a good receiver. Let me tell you

what happened quickly. We were at a mountain retreat with a few women. We went to pray and get away

and talk about some ministry things. And I was about to leave. I had to leave early.

And so I asked the group of women, as I was getting ready to leave, if I could pray over

everyone and for everyone. And they agreed. And then when we were through, after I'd finished

praying over everyone and for everyone, I was trying to kind of bolt out of there. One of the women said,

now, I want to pray for you. And all of a sudden, I felt so awkward. And I have to tell you,

and I'm sort of ashamed to say this, I didn't really like the idea at first. It's crazy. I know.

Who wouldn't want to be prayed for? And I have to say, now I've grown into loving people praying for me.

In fact, I have a joke. When someone says, can I pray for you? I always say, I receive all prayers

gratefully. I love prayer more than anything, even at that time. But when she said she wanted to

pray for me, I actually heard myself say these words back to her. Sure, I love that.

I'm sorry, I'm awkward. I'm just not a very good receiver. And as I left all the way on the

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