Say a Prayer
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you; Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:44
Sometimes God speaks through the oddest things. Many of us are familiar with the Old Testament story in which he spoke, literally, through a donkey. While I have never received a message from livestock, often I hear things in the strangest places. At times the message is immediately obvious. Other times I need a little time to sit with it. Yesterday I had a bit of both. I heard a snippet from an old song that made me stop and think. Later after receiving some hard news the idea gelled. The song is written from the prospective of the bad boy trying to woo the good girl. He mentions that he knows her mother doesn’t like him. But, he asks, did she ever pray for me? Hm…? My first thought was of a friend of one of my children who I really, really don’t like. Have I prayed for him? Thankfully I can say yes but I still got the point of the song.
We call ourselves people of God but then forgetting that every person is his creation we pick and choose those for whom we will pray, even when God puts someone in our path, over and over. Did I pray for that young man? Yes, but not terribly often, not with much sincerity and not without an agenda of my own. The line of the song became a cautionary one for me. “Oh yeah, you’re a big Christian, all about love, but did you send any my way?”
Just a bit later in the day I received word that someone I do love as a sister in Christ as well as a sweet friend, was suffering, near death. Did I say a prayer for her? Immediately! Please, oh please, oh please Lord, kind of prayers went from my heart and my mouth to the throne of God. I believe that in his perfect way God heard, is hearing, and will answer my prayers. I know my prayers for my dear Susan are combined with the prayers of multitudes of other believers. This is a well known and much loved woman for whom many people will pray. My children’s friend? I suppose he’s well known but not much loved. I suppose some people will pray for him but not with any real sense of urgency. He is more of the lost cause variety. I don’t think he’s anywhere near a physical death’s door. But then again, he’s already spiritual dead.
So who needs the prayers more? Susan whose mortal life is in danger but whose eternal life is secure or the kid whose mortal life stays in the danger zone while his spiritual life is of a spirit that I find repugnant? The answer is that they both have the same level of need. We all do. Our pastor is very fond of reminding us that we all have issues that require tissues and he’s right. It isn’t about need. It’s about who I see as worthy of my prayers and that is just plain wrong!
The words to that old song reminded me of that young man. Did I immediately pray for him? No, sadly I did not. I did immediately pray for Susan and have continued to pray for her. How noble of me, to pray for a friend! Prayer is a gift. It is one we are meant to share. That song, the song written in the person of a malcontent trying to persuade a young girl into questionable behavior is very irreverent. It was meant to raise eyebrows and point fingers. It worked. Years ago I thought it was so cool. Yesterday I heard it as a wakeup call. I believe God was reminding me that he wants me to love all of his people, not just the ones I like. Praying that a person would just go away doesn’t really count either. The words of the song say, “Did she ever say a prayer for me?” “A prayer for me”. That is something to think about.
Sometimes God speaks through the oddest things. Many of us are familiar with the Old Testament story in which he spoke, literally, through a donkey. While I have never received a message from livestock, often I hear things in the strangest places. At times the message is immediately obvious. Other times I need a little time to sit with it. Yesterday I had a bit of both. I heard a snippet from an old song that made me stop and think. Later after receiving some hard news the idea gelled. The song is written from the prospective of the bad boy trying to woo the good girl. He mentions that he knows her mother doesn’t like him. But, he asks, did she ever pray for me? Hm…? My first thought was of a friend of one of my children who I really, really don’t like. Have I prayed for him? Thankfully I can say yes but I still got the point of the song.
We call ourselves people of God but then forgetting that every person is his creation we pick and choose those for whom we will pray, even when God puts someone in our path, over and over. Did I pray for that young man? Yes, but not terribly often, not with much sincerity and not without an agenda of my own. The line of the song became a cautionary one for me. “Oh yeah, you’re a big Christian, all about love, but did you send any my way?”
Just a bit later in the day I received word that someone I do love as a sister in Christ as well as a sweet friend, was suffering, near death. Did I say a prayer for her? Immediately! Please, oh please, oh please Lord, kind of prayers went from my heart and my mouth to the throne of God. I believe that in his perfect way God heard, is hearing, and will answer my prayers. I know my prayers for my dear Susan are combined with the prayers of multitudes of other believers. This is a well known and much loved woman for whom many people will pray. My children’s friend? I suppose he’s well known but not much loved. I suppose some people will pray for him but not with any real sense of urgency. He is more of the lost cause variety. I don’t think he’s anywhere near a physical death’s door. But then again, he’s already spiritual dead.
So who needs the prayers more? Susan whose mortal life is in danger but whose eternal life is secure or the kid whose mortal life stays in the danger zone while his spiritual life is of a spirit that I find repugnant? The answer is that they both have the same level of need. We all do. Our pastor is very fond of reminding us that we all have issues that require tissues and he’s right. It isn’t about need. It’s about who I see as worthy of my prayers and that is just plain wrong!
The words to that old song reminded me of that young man. Did I immediately pray for him? No, sadly I did not. I did immediately pray for Susan and have continued to pray for her. How noble of me, to pray for a friend! Prayer is a gift. It is one we are meant to share. That song, the song written in the person of a malcontent trying to persuade a young girl into questionable behavior is very irreverent. It was meant to raise eyebrows and point fingers. It worked. Years ago I thought it was so cool. Yesterday I heard it as a wakeup call. I believe God was reminding me that he wants me to love all of his people, not just the ones I like. Praying that a person would just go away doesn’t really count either. The words of the song say, “Did she ever say a prayer for me?” “A prayer for me”. That is something to think about.
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