Pray for one another. (James 5:16)
“My family is coming into town, and they insist on staying with us, even though we don’t have enough room and we really don’t get along very well. I am stressed out about their visit; I don’t know how I’ll make it for a whole week with them in my home.”
“Wow, that sounds like a tough situation. I’ll be praying for you.“
Sound familiar? We’ve all said it, but have we really done it? I know myself. I can’t remember even what I just went down to the basement for; how in the world do I expect myself to remember to pray for my friend who’s facing a difficult circumstance? My poor mommy brain is so barraged and beleagured, I can’t depend on it for very much these days.
So, why not pray right there, right then? Sure, you’re in Starbucks with all the fancy coffee folks, holding their simple, red cups. Sure, it’s not culturally acceptable to practice Christianity publicly anymore. But, do you want to be part of a community that devalues your values, or do you want to create true community? Prayer is the power behind true community. So, just do it.
Recently, my dear neighbor had emergency hernia surgery. I had the rare opportunity to visit her in the hospital. (With five kids, hospital visits are hard to come by.) I brought her flowers (her room was full of them, reflecting the steady stream of visitors she had while there), and we visited for a bit. When it was time for me to head home, I said, “Let me pray with you before I go,” and I sat beside her on the bed.
Now, I know that Kathleen is a believer, although she comes from a different faith tradition. We have shared several stories with each other, as she has cut my daughters’ and my hair. Ever since we heard the news of her surgery, we had been praying for her as a family, but I had never prayed with her before. When I finished, tears filled her eyes, she drew me into a hug and thanked me. Later, I received a beautiful card from her in the mail, an excerpt from which I’d like to share with you:
Your visit and flowers meant the world to me. It was praying together that was so powerful and is helping with a steady recovery.
It was prayer- not the visit or the flowers (she had plenty of both)- that made the difference. It drew us closer together and welcomed the Lord’s healing presence, in a way I don’t think she had experienced before. If I had just stood at the foot of her bed and said, “I hope you feel better soon. We’ll be praying for you,” before leaving the room, we would have missed the expression of true community that prayer provided.
For where two or three gather in My name, there I am with them. (Matthew 18:20)
Don’t let fear hold you back from praying with those who need it. The intimacy of spoken prayer has the power to draw us into deeper communion with God and each other.
Who will you pray with today?
(Featured Photo Credit: www.hopechurch.org.nz)
[…] have seen true community at work in several places this week. Yesterday, I saw it at my friend’s twin baby shower, […]