“I just know that prayer changes things,” says Lonnie Bayless. She’s seen it in her own life and in the lives of her family members and friends, and she trusts that it’s true for members of the Well Community as she brings their needs before God.
Lonnie is one of numerous people who regularly pray for members of the Well Community. Many are part of the PrayWell Team, a group of individuals who receive monthly emails listing prayer requests from Well members and staff.
The requests range from concerns about health issues and housing situations to broader asks for God’s blessing and help. Some represent one-time needs, while others reveal ongoing struggles. And all are prayed for by this caring team.
Like many who pray for the Well, Lonnie is grateful to receive requests that help her pray with greater understanding for those dealing with serious mental health conditions. She shares how, when she was growing up, mental illness was rarely talked about. But as she’s learned about Well Community members’ needs, she’s grown in her understanding of them and the challenges they face.
She’s also thankful that God fills in all the gaps that people might not think to pray for and meets the needs that others might not see. “You don’t know what to do, you don’t know what to say, but someone else does. Heavenly Father knows what they need to hear, what they need to experience and the best thing for them.”
With this assurance that God knows what each person needs, Lonnie encourages others to pray, even when they’re not sure what to pray for. “Just pray for the best outcome … the most benevolent outcome.’” She emphasizes the importance of praying this for everyone concerned—not just the person offering the requests—as while those who pray often don’t know how that person’s situation impacts others, God does. “I just feel like that kind of covers it for me. … It’s my faith, after all, that I’m taking to God to ask him to use it with his grace and mercy, to spread it around however he chooses.”
Through their faith and steadfast service through prayer, people like Lonnie come alongside those who are often ostracized and who struggle to find settings where they can practice their faith without judgement and stigma. “Those who pray for Well Community members provide spiritual support for individuals who, outside of the Well, lack a community of people who care about them and their needs.” says Alice Zaccarello, Executive Director of the Well Community. “Their prayers are powerful, both as demonstrations of their care for our members and as advocacy before the God who knows and loves each one. It’s a joy to see how God answers and provides.”
The power of prayer encourages Lonnie and others to continue lifting up Well Community members’ requests to God month after month. As she says, “That’s the best way for me to feel like I’m making a difference: to let him make the difference that that person needs.”
You can offer powerful spiritual support to Well Community members through prayer! Click here to join the PrayWell team.