Living YES!: Persevere In Prayer — Sharon & John Burke

Persevere In Prayer

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Sharon

Sharon is the first person that comes to mind when you need someone to pray with you. She has faithfully brought many of our family requests before the Lord, offering encouraging words and checking in on our needs. She serves as a dedicated prayer warrior for our church leaders and congregation.

Sharon hosts prayer meetings at her home nearly every Sunday night. She participates in pre-service prayer, lifting up our pastor and the Sunday morning service. On Wednesday evenings, she gathers with fellow intercessors to pray for our church, the nation, and personal requests. Additionally, she acts as a prayer mentor, meeting with those seeking spiritual breakthroughs. Sharon's later years have blossomed into a beautiful and faithful ministry of prayer. However, during our conversation, Sharon shared something that took me by surprise: "I never used to believe that God truly heard me."

Sharon dedicated her career to nursing, a passion she cherished so deeply that she only retired five years ago, at the age of 80. Between 2006 and 2007, God began a healing journey for Sharon, addressing long-standing fears, insomnia, and anxiety that had held her captive for years. She can remember the moment she felt truly "free" and recognized God as her Father for the first time. Sharon was able to receive God's love for her, offer forgiveness to others and receive forgiveness in deeper ways. Once Sharon understood that she was truly valued by the Lord, she was able to believe that He heard her prayers.

A verse that remains close to Sharon's heart from her healing journey is Isaiah 41:10: "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."

In 2011, God inspired Sharon and four other women to come together to pray for the church. This marked the beginning of her deepening love for and understanding of prayer. Their gathering grew into a faithful group of 10-15 individuals who met weekly to worship and seek God's presence, interceding for the needs around them. Sharon continues to faithfully serve in this ministry to this day.

When I asked Sharon what she has learned about God throughout her journey, she responded, "He always hears us. Regardless of the answer, it doesn't matter what we see in the natural; the Holy Spirit knows the beginning from the end. So, I must persevere in prayer."

This inspires me deeply. Sharon's life is an example, of how the Lord can take areas of weakness and transform them into our greatest strengths!

Reflection from Judy

I am so grateful for saints like Sharon walking among us…truly a gift to our broken world and our often-weary hearts. In our area of California, where the Santa Cruz mountains snuggle close to the ocean, our prayer champion is our son-in-law Peter's father, John Burke.

Six years ago, after a major heart attack nearly claimed his life, John eventually emerged stronger in spirit and with renewed vision. While his physical setback led to his stepping away from pastoring Bonny Doon Church, he sensed a clear mandate from the Lord, calling our county to pray more frequently and fervently. He began driving daily to local churches. From church parking lots, he began praying for that body of believers and their pastor(s).

Eventually these churches opened their doors and hearts to John and invited their parishioners to join him for thirty minutes of prayer at designated morning times, Monday through Saturday. Now, six years later, our county is saturated with prayers to our Heavenly Father, asking in Jesus' name for:

• souls to be saved,
• physical/mental health to be restored,
• marriages and other relationships to be restored,
• jobs to be found,
• wisdom to abound,
• finances to be fixed,
• churches to grow,
• missionaries to multiply, and
• the Holy Spirit to actively reign in believers' lives.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Sharon in Minnesota and John in California, for loving Jesus with all your hearts and modeling so well significant ways those over 75 can invest their lives. May God continue to bless you both abundantly!

Do you know someone in the second half of life who is making a meaningful impact for the Kingdom? We’d love to hear their story as we continue gathering inspiring examples. Please send to info@yestoserve.org.