Please Pray for Me

Have you thought about how much you know about other people’s lives lately?  It’s a side effect of the explosion of social media.  Sally’s kid is having his tonsils removed.  Henry’s company laid him off.  Francesca has had a terrible week at work.  (I’ve always wanted to use the name “Francesca” in an illustration.)

The crazy thing is you found this all out during 60 seconds of scrolling Facebook or the look you snuck at Twitter during a boring meeting.  It can be a bit overwhelming.  And what can be even more overwhelming is that some of these updates are cries for help – more than just random information, but petitions for your sympathy and prayer.

What’s a follower of Jesus supposed to do?  Since the scriptures call us pointedly to pray for each other, simply ignoring all the needs that flash across our screens and hearts is not an option.  So how should we respond?  Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Don’t pray for everyone.  You’re not responsible to take on every need, because you’re not the Messiah.  Trying to pray for everyone is like trying to be best friends with everyone: it gets superficial in a hurry.

 

1. Pray for someone.  The reverse is true as well.  In fact, not praying long, drawn-out prayers for everyone’s needs should free us up to pray for someone’s needs.  Choose a few and focus in with laser-beam precision.  Make those prayers count.  Ask for specific direction and results.  And offer yourself to God to help in any other way you can.

 

1. Pray for someone you like.  If you’re struggling to decide who to pray for, gravitate toward someone you naturally care about.  Life moves at the speed of relationship, and prayer is best when it’s combined with a connection we already have with another person.  Don’t be afraid to prioritize and pray for your friends.

 

1. Pray for someone you don’t like.  Praying for people we already value and appreciate strengthens our connection with them.  Praying for people we don’t particularly value or appreciate develops our character.  It isn’t just people’s needs that litter Facebook and Twitter: there’s plenty of bragging there as well.  And some of it is probably coming from someone you can’t stand, are jealous of, or are tired of hearing about.  You’ll be startled by what God does in you when you pray for them.

The next time you’re checking in on social media remember that knowing some small thing about someone’s life may be all the empowerment you need to pray for them.  You don’t have to pray for everyone, but each of us should make praying for someone part of our spiritual development.  Start with someone you like; graduate to someone you don’t.  And you’ll grow.

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