Prayer Warrior

Last week I was watching Faith & Fame, a show on the Gospel Music Channel that's kind of like a "Behind the Music" for Christian artists. This episode was about Amy Grant. Now, Christian music has been a big part of my life since I was about 13 years old. And Amy Grant was my gal! LOVED her! Back then, in Christian music, there was pretty much her, Michael W. Smith, Petra, and Stryper. And my church never approved of Christian music (long story, I'm sure I'll get into it someday..but I went to a Lutheran church that pretty much thought that anything outside of our particular branch of the denomination was evil.) So, anyway, Amy was my hero. I wanted to be just like her. Went to church all my life, but her music was a turning point for me. Me & God were tight, but her songs showed me how to have a real relationship with Him. My first step of learning to fall in LOVE with Him. Changed my world....and I looked up to her like no one else. Well fast forward quite a few years, as many of you know, there was the whole divorce issue, how she divorced her first husband Gary Chapman (who I also LOVED!) and married Vince Gill. I was furious about that for a long time. During the time she was "friends" with Vince, I was living down in Nashville(lived there bout a year & a half...more on that later too no doubt..) and the gossip down there was that they were seen around town together, A LOT, when she was still married, acting totally inappropriate. And I remember thinking, "why isn't anyone confronting her on this??" So yeah, the divorce was final, she remarried, and I judged her for quite awhile. Many deep issues inside of me caused this to hit a big nerve. But as I watched the re-telling of her story on TV last week, it hit me. I didn't hold it against her anymore. I didn't judge her. It hit me HARD......had I ever prayed for her back then? Prayed for her faith? Prayed for her marriage? I had been a fan of her music, bought the T-shirts, gone to concerts, dreamed of meeting her....but had I ever spent time on my knees on her behalf? So how on earth could I judge her? And what burned me too was, hearing again how badly she was judged by the Christian music industry. Pulling her music off the shelves, cancelling shows, shunning her. It made me wonder...how many of THESE industry people ever said a prayer for Amy Grant? They knew what she was going through....they were the ones "gossiping" about her & Vince. Not confronting in love, but talking about it in shameful tones...and releasing pictures in papers & such.

Prayer for artists has always been a passion for me. I believe that every person who has been touched by the music of any artist should be blessing them back by lifting them up in prayer. Yes, the music is all about God. Their ministries point us to Him. But how often does anyone think about how much sacrifice is involved on their part? Marriages can be strained, families are kept apart for days on end, both by touring and studio time. The industry shoves them thru the ringer, time & time again, with obligations, appearances, album deadlines and vigorous touring.....and then when their faith proves tested, they abandon and judge them. That's more reality.

This prayer calling was birthed in me when I discovered a group that no one had ever heard of before, called DC Talk, in 1989. Once again I reached a turning point in my faith. Their songs, written by a young man named Toby, inspired a love for God in me on a whole new level. And in a style I had already fallen in love with(in secular music, which I was uncomfortable with because of my strong convictions) called rap...hip-hop....urban music. Plenty of it here around Motown. :) But these songs not only had the beat I loved, but lyrics that drew me closer to God and His love for me. Once again I was hooked. And once again I looked up to the one who God had used to reach me. But this time, God was nudging me further. I began praying for the songwriter. My eyes were opened to real life, how hard this lifestyle must be. I met Toby in 1991. We talked for awhile & became friends over the years, since I kept praying, writing him encouraging letters, attending shows & supporting him....being a friend he could trust...thru the dctalk years, thru now the tobyMac years, up & down in the natural career highs & lows. He is truly my brother in every sense of the word. And honestly, prayer is a beautiful thing between friends. God shows me exactly when I need to pray and what to pray for. I feel a literal burden. And I've experienced the joy of hearing from him how my prayers are felt, at just the right time, and have made a difference. People have NO IDEA the impact their prayers can have....when an artist is struggling in their own faith, their own life, their own marriage, their own family. When the passion isn't there. When the creativity is gone. And yes, when insecurity and doubt, giant darts thrown by the enemy, are sent to pierce their very souls. My mission is to be the shield that protects his heart. And prayer is a blessing we ALL can give.

In discussing this with a friend awhile ago, I felt God nudging me further in this. Maybe I'll write a book or something. Because I believe people should know. There are real people behind those songs that touch your heart so deeply. God has given these musical gifts to some of the most wonderful and talented people for YOUR benefit. Thank Him for that today. And next time the music stirs your soul, send a prayer up for the one who wrote it.