“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you.” (Colossians 1:9)

“I guess people take me seriously, because they keep giving me names.”  The statement was made by a friend of mine making reference to the fact that she is frequently requested to pray for folks she doesn’t even know.  This came about because she maintains a prayer list and often tells others she will put them on it when they express a need. Recently, I had a text from a friend asking me to remember a couple whom we mutually know in my prayers. I responded that I certainly would and said that they had actually been on my prayer list for some time.  She answered back by stating, “I would have never thought of prayer lists if I didn’t know you.”  Quite frankly, the idea of maintaining a prayer list is not a novel idea. I started keeping one years ago when I was told it was sinful to tell someone you would be praying for them and then not do so. Scripture says, “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:37). While my offer of prayer is always expressed with the best of intentions, I also know that my memory is, at times, short-lived. Hence . . . my list.

There are times when folks make prayer far more complex than it needs to be. There is a story of a man who learned how easy it could become. A man’s daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with her father who was bedfast. Assuming the old fellow had been informed of his visit, the pastor introduced himself. Pointing to an empty chair beside the bed, he said, “I figured you were expecting me.” “Oh yeah . . . the chair,” said the bedridden man. “I’ve never told anyone this, not even my daughter, but all of my life I never knew how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head. One day about four years ago my best friend said to me, ‘Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here’s what I suggest. Sit down, place an empty chair beside you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. Then just speak to Him and listen in the same way you’re doing with me right now.’ So, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I’m careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d think I had gone crazy.” The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the pastor that her father had died that afternoon. “Did he pass peacefully?” the pastor asked. “Yes, when I left the house around two o’clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, he was gone.  But there was something strange . . . apparently just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside the bed.” Joe had come to appreciate who it was sitting in the chair next to him.

Spending time alone with God in prayer is a great privilege that not only allows us to touch the lives of others but also seek personal help in our own struggles and weaknesses. If you have ever been on the receiving end of prayer, you know how effective prayer can be. I can’t tell you how many times I didn’t know someone was lifting me in prayer to later be told by them, “Hey, I’ve been praying for you.”  It’s always been a moment of revelation for me, for I knew when I was walking in that dark valley – I felt close to God. To be certain, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16). It’s become far too easy to acknowledge someone’s pain and suffering with a simple “thinking of you” in passing. Social media posts are only one example of dismissive comments such as “praying for you.” Let’s hope that all those who flippantly use that expression are really doing so. The difference between saying you’re praying for someone and actually praying for them is one simple action . . . talking to our Father. Those who take prayer seriously will pray continually and trust that God answers each prayer according to His perfect will and in His perfect timing. A Christian who prays repeatedly and effectively for others in the manner taught in Scripture will pray to God the Father (Matthew 6:9), in the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27), and in the name of Jesus (John 14:13). When we do so, it gives a whole new life to the phrase, “Praying for you.”

REFLECTION: In addition to asking God to ‘move’ as you pray about specific names or situations, learn to listen for your own self-reflective thoughts. Carefully consider what God’s Spirit is prompting you to do in light of your request (make a call, send a card, share a scripture, schedule a visit). During those times when you are feeling inadequate or worthless, why not begin a personal prayer ministry?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., MARCH 23, 2019. COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.