Transformational Prayer: A Personal Journey
Guest Post by Julee Dilley, CEO | PRAYR
Life often takes us on unexpected paths, weaving intricate stories that interlace with the lives of those around us. My journey, marked by personal challenges and unshakable faith, has led me to a profound realization of the transformative power of prayer.
A decade ago, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle emerged into my life—an aggressive stage four lymphoma diagnosis. Tumors spread through my body, engulfing me in a haze of fear, anxiety, and isolation. But it wasn't merely the physical struggle; it was the haunting shadow of my father's tragic journey that cast its dark cloud over me.
Years earlier, my father, a resolute army colonel and victim of a traumatic brain injury, had been snatched away by his own hand. In the face of my illness, the enemy whispered cruel doubts into my mind. "If your father couldn't handle his journey, how can you?" The darkness of depression clung to me, threatening to shatter my resolve.
During this despair, I experienced the immense power of prayer! A group of women gathered and fervently prayed for me for three days, and I was delivered from that evil and lie, “You would be better not being here.”! It was continued prayers and the Lord’s hand that I am cancer-free and enjoy great health.
But the battle was far from over, two years later, another challenge emerged—my son's relentless, seven-year battle with chronic headaches. He is in pain all waking hours every day, and we are still praying for healing. For years, I went from bible study table to bible study table, asking for prayers. Often there wasn’t much communication in the week that followed.
I knew others prayed for him. Yet, despite being within the community, among the church fellowship, and surrounded by companions, these well-intentioned acts often faded into silence, leaving me feeling isolated and alone.
Witnessing my son's challenges served as a powerful reminder of the profound significance of prayer in our lives. Yet, when we needed prayers and updates the most, the lack of faith-based tools complicated connections. People are so busy and distracted and lack a system for managing their prayers. This fueled my desire to create an app where we can give that on-going support of prayer easily and effectively using that little device we carry around all day. Technology with a positive purpose!
It was in my quiet time with the Lord that HE gave me every piece of what is now PRAYR, a faith-based app that helps put our great intentions of praying into action. After leading bible studies for decades, I saw that text groups and secular tools were the primary way to facilitate prayer in my small groups. Why don’t we have a go-to prayer app for bringing people together?
The PRAYR Community app will bring us closer to Christ and each other through prayer.
PRAYR is more than just a faith tool—it's an avenue for building strong Christ-centered communities. Ministries are excited to use PRAYR to rally their members, coordinate efforts, and provide consistent peer-to-peer support where you know you are being lifted in prayer. It streamlines communication and facilitates groups, ensuring that prayers remain prominent and those who are in need are never forgotten. We will offer private labeling allowing ministries to have their very own prayer app with their logo and branding.
How often do we encounter opportunities to be a part of such significant endeavors? This app offered me exactly that, a chance to contribute to the advancement of God's work. I envision millions across the globe praying and propelling the work of the Lord forward. That small interaction that people gave me when I wasn't in their presence is the essence I wanted to capture in this app.
The Lord’s hand in this journey continues to be miraculous. HE has brought many wonderful people to this project and opened incredible doors to interested ministries like Young Life, Alpha, Youth for Christ, Officier’s Christian Fellowship, and C3 Leaders, just to name a few.
Our momentum is strong, and the path ahead is full of promise. We're in conversations with many well-known global ministries, yet there's much more to achieve. Fueled by the ongoing interest in the development of the app, we aim to magnify our influence and propel this vision to even greater heights.
In a world where isolation threatens to prevail, PRAYR stands as a testament to the fact that when we show up for each other, when we extend our prayers and our hearts, we transform lives, communities, and the world around us.
Julee can be reached at julee@prayr.co
Julee is the visionary founder and CEO of PRAYR, a revolutionary app that redefines the power of prayer. Through her personal struggles with health challenges and unwavering faith, Julee crafted a one-of-a-kind platform where prayers become shared experiences, knitting hearts together. With a deep conviction, she wants to spark a transformative movement in prayer, encouraging each other and letting others know we are with them in prayer!
