Sometimes folks who've asked me to pray for them report back. One time I got a call from a friend who struggles with alcoholism. The friend was celebrating six months of sobriety. "I just wanted to thank you for your prayers," said my friend. Others have written or called after a successful surgery and have said things like "Your prayers worked! Thank you!" And while I am always delighted to hear such good news from parishioners and friends, I sometimes wonder, what about those who don't call with good news? What about those whose hopes were not realized? The mother of an addict who leaves rehab early, the spouse of a cancer patient who doesn't respond to chemo, the father of a child who keeps acting out? Are some prayers answered and others ignored? Is God really that capricious?
I think not--but believing that God does indeed love us all, and loves us all equally, I am increasingly convinced that prayers of intercession, our prayers for others, need to be understood in a different manner. I think intercessory prayer, when rightly understood, is not so much about praying for somebody else as it is about praying with them When I ask you to pray for me, what I am really saying is pray with me. Stand alongside me as I go through this challenge. And what we are really asking God is the same thing. Stand with this person, whatever the outcome. Of course we want successful surgery for the other person, of course we want recovery from addiction, a restored marriage, a new job or whatever. But such things are usually out of our control. But we can stand with each other. We can remind folks they are not alone. That they are loved, regardless of the outcome.
Think about it--or as a friend of mine might say, "Pray on it!"
I love this message. “Pray with me” is exactly right!
ReplyDeleteThanks you! This aspect needs to be emphasized. I have seen it work myself a number of times.
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