What happens after we say we will pray?
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. — Ephesians 6:18
On January 2, millions watched the freakish events on a football field in Cincinnati. A young NFL football player, Damar Hamlin, lay in front of millions, motionless, being tended to by medical staff all the while his friends, teammates and millions around the world watched.
Suffering from cardiac arrest, Damar Hamlin needed immediate action by medical personnel and his life was essentially saved by them.
Something else that kicked in immediately that evening was PRAYER. From the broadcasters on television, to the fans in the stands, to those of us watching on TV, people prayed. ESPN sports analyst, Dan Orlovsky, prayed on live television because he felt that it was the right thing to do. I believe he even still has his job! “I’ve heard it all day ‘thoughts and prayers’...it’s just on my heart that I want to pray for Damar Hamlin right now.” I appreciated that moment deeply.
We often tell people “I will be praying for you” or “you are in my thoughts and prayers.” This offers encouragement, support and love.
My question, however, is this…how often do we fulfill that promise? How often do we truly take time to pray for those we claim to be praying for? Is “we are praying for you” just a phrase we use to hopefully offer some encouragement but not something we follow through on? I am guilty of it…I have said that before but not actually followed through with it.
Paul wrote to the people in Ephesus “pray in the Spirit on all occasions” because there is no limit to what we can pray about, who we can pray for, and when we should pray. As Christians, we can pray anytime we want, anywhere we want with anyone we want! And remember, the BEST thing we can do is pray for others.
Oftentimes you might hear “all you can do is pray” but it is, in fact, the absolute best thing we can do for others in their time of need. I hope that the world doesn’t forget how good it felt to see so many in support of PRAYING for Damar Hamlin. It wasn’t ridiculed, it wasn’t scoffed about, nobody complained about prayer being forced on anyone, rather, prayer was encouraged and appreciated!
The next time you encourage someone with prayer support, consider praying with them right then and there. Not only will you be calling upon the Holy Spirit to fill each of you, it is entirely possible that you will encourage others that see you boldly praying to God. Let’s not let time wear off and the power of prayer be forgotten.
May you be blessed, prayed for and found in prayer! In Jesus,
Photo: Pastor Pete Wyttenbach South Zumbro Lutheran Church Kasson