Okay, so this subject has been on my mind, and I’m truly not trying to offend anyone – but I thought I would share.
I have seen something a lot lately – maybe it has always been there, and honestly, I have been guilty of it, too, but y’all…..there comes a point when telling someone you are praying for them becomes a cop out. Please stick with me.
First off, if you tell someone you’re praying for them, I’m not saying you have to have a Pentecostal revival (although maybe you do), but you darn sure need to pray for them. It shouldn’t be a pat response because you aren’t sure how to respond, but you feel like one is needed. With that being said, I’m not saying that prayers aren’t needed and appreciated, but the truth is, if you can act – you need to act. We need to be doing life in the trenches with people, not just spouting off that we are praying for them, and move on about our day.
Please know I believe in the power of prayer, and I have seen it manifested in my own life. Yet, sometimes people need you to say a prayer while you’re cooking a lasagna to drop off, or sitting in the Panera drive-thru picking up some Soup for Group, or asking if you can watch the kids for a couple of hours, or mowing their grass, or fixing a leaky roof, or sitting with them over a cup of hot tea and really listening to what is going on. And the list is filled with endless possibilities.
While sometimes going before the Lord is the only thing that we have to give, and again I am not discounting that – sometimes we have the ability to answer the call to supply the need, even if it is in a small way. When I was a waitress there would be people who would gush about my excellent service, and then not tip. The one thing that ran through my mind would be, “Your thanks was greatly appreciated, but it didn’t pay my bills”. I kind of look at this the same way – my prayers may be greatly appreciated, but if I have the ability to meet a need, and I didn’t, I have missed an opportunity to show love in a tangible way.
May I find more ways this year to meet a need and show love, while praying and believing for great things.
Matthew 25:35 – 36
For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
This is a beautiful life.
restlesslycontent 