By Mimi Greenwood Knight
We’ve all said it. “I’ll be praying for you.” And of course, we meant it. But it’s easy to get caught up in our busy lives and simply forget to pray. Here’s an idea. When someone asks you to pray for them, stop what you’re doing and pray right then and right there. Maybe you’re in the aisle at a store and pull your cart to the side, close your eyes, take your friend’s hand, and pray together. Don’t worry about the other shoppers. They can go around you. (Or they may need to hear the words you’re praying. You never know.)
The idea is not to wait. Because in our busy world, the best of intentions can get lost in the shuffle. Or is it just me? Of course, you can also add them to your prayer list later and, without betraying confidences, you might share their need with your prayer partners or on your church prayer chain. But I spent too many years being asked by a friend to pray, fully intending to pray, then not giving it another thought until I saw that friend again. No more!
Pray Now!
God instructs us to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17) to make our requests known to Him (Philippians 4:6), to pray for one another (James 5:16), and to ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7-8). I would add “pray immediately”. Lifting up a prayer request immediately not only assures us we won’t forget but also shows our friends we’re taking their needs seriously. Also, Matthew 18:19 encourages us to pray together. And voicing your prayer aloud, with your friend able to hear it, may open the door for God to speak to them through your words. In John 11:42, Jesus prayed aloud, not because He thought God would hear Him better, but that those who heard Him would believe.
You just never know what your words might mean to someone who’s hurting. What a shame if they didn’t hear your words because you prayed them later at home or forgot altogether. Praying right here, right now, can open a door for the Father to use your prayer as the encouragement someone needs to keep on keeping on in the face of difficult circumstances. And at the same time, praying together can draw you closer as sisters in Christ.
In my own life, I can think of times when someone prayed aloud for me, and I walked away with more clarity on my situation and new aspects to consider that hadn’t occurred to me before. Besides, there are few things that can make you feel more loved than to be bathed in prayer by someone you admire.
When we see social media posts requesting prayer, it’s easy to type “praying” or the praying-hands emoji and scroll to the next post without praying at all. Although your response might buoy someone’s spirits at the time, it is far better to stop, close your eyes, and lift them up to the One Who can change their circumstances and truly heal their heart.
Pray Later
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with jotting down requests and praying for them later, as well. Jesus encouraged believers to be persistent in their prayers (Luke 18:1), and Paul encourages us to come boldly into the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). I know not everybody has a pen and notepad with them at all times, as I do. But I bet you carry a phone. Consider using your memo app to record requests you can pray for again and again. Once your home, you might jot the request on an index card and stick it to your refrigerator or bathroom mirror, where you’ll be reminded to continue praying.
Or you might set an alarm on your phone or smart speaker to remind you to pray about a particularly timely request. Right now, I have alarms set to pray for a friend’s daughter who’s taking her MCAT, another for a cousin who’s scheduled for an angiogram, and a third for a church member with an important court date. When each alarm goes off, my plan is to send an encouraging text to let them know I’ll bring their requests before the Father and stand with them in prayer. Then, I plan to drop everything and PRAY!
Ask for Prayer
Years ago, my family went through a difficult time when one of my children was dealing with clinical depression. It was a dark few months when I felt scared and utterly alone. Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to ask my friends or even my sisters for prayer. In my mind, the fact that my child was depressed was a negative reflection of my parenting (which was a lie straight from the devil). Not only did I condemn myself to walk through this difficult time alone, but I robbed my friends of the blessing of praying for my daughter and me, and robbed my daughter of all the prayers my friends and sisters would have lifted up for her. In Ephesians 6:19-20, God, through Paul, tells us to ask our fellow believers to pray for us.
Intercessory prayer is God’s design. In John 17, Jesus Himself offers a blueprint as He prays first for Himself, then for His disciples, then for future believers. Sisters, that’s us! Jesus was interceding for us, and Hebrews 7:25 tells us He still is. Romans 8:26 further explains how the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. Even when we don’t know what to pray, He intercedes for us with “groanings which cannot be uttered”. If you feel inadequate to pray for your friend’s request, the Holy Spirit is just waiting to do it for you.
Prayer is a powerful tool our Father gave to each and every believer. And it’s a privilege to come before our loving God as His daughter, beloved, favored — the apple of His eye — and spend time in His presence.
Why would we ever want to put that off?
