I Do More Than Wish for You...May I Pray?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God - Philippians 4:6

I sat in a conference hall two days ago and listen to the most extraordinary young man. His name is Nick Vujicic (Vooey-check). Nick has no arms, no legs though he is quite proud of a two toed singular foot. Nick spoke in front of a group of businessmen and women and shared a vision for a life. Nick knows WHY he was put on this earth. Nick has a big WHY. His WHY covers the globe and touches millions.

Nick inspired us all by the simplicity and the power of his desire to live and make a difference. Then Nick told a whole room he has this great big reason for living, this vision for life this goal of touching millions because of Jesus Christ. Nick has a "Why I am here?" because Nick is a Christian.

But at the end Nick let a young woman hold him and he prayed for her...right there...unashamedly...Nick prayed and he changed a life by the power of Jesus Christ...

It was what happened just moments before that is my story...

"May I pray for you? I feel I should," said Nick to the woman.

"Oh, I don't want to take up your time or God's time with something as small as my trivia. I'd rather not waste it on me. You should pray for someone much less fortunate than me. My mother always taught us to pray at the dinner table for those less fortunate than us," she replied.

Nick prayed...a life was touched and changed for the Kingdom of God.

Two weeks ago my friend David Marlowe had a bizarre experience while up north at a river bank in Arizona. David prayed for a very angry man in obvious "soul pain." More on that one for another day.

But isn't it interesting what happens when we offer to pray for someone? Offering to pray for someone can be the most genuine and loving thing you can do for another person. It can be the one means of getting a conversation on a spiritual plane that cuts across religious stigmas, barriers and penetrates to the root of the true issues of life and opens the other person to their true needs, pain and hurt. Simultaneously, the hurting one learns your values and sets the stage for future encounters they can have with you or others who know and love Jesus. God engineers these moments and provides the boldness to step through the door of need right into the opportunity as it presents itself.

Expect God to move in just this way.

So I ask you this, is there anything too small to pray about? Do we, in fact, bother God when we make any request that is not dealing with only the poor in Calcutta or the dying children of Somalia? Paul convey in our passage above that prayer is conversation with daddy God. It's having such a relationship with Him that we can bring anything to His attention.

We've all done the parking lot prayer for a closer parking spot or other such seemingly trivial prayer requests, but are they trivial to God? If God is our closest and most intimate friend, then it will become natural to talk to Him as you would a friend who might be sitting next to you in the car. That is why Jesus came. Our God desires to have such close communion with you and me that we can pray about anything - even a parking spot or a green light.

I'm convinced, today, on my birthday, in 2009 that you are reading this (or a day or two or two years later) you are doing so because God wishes you to engage someone in prayer. Surprise yourself. Change a life. You can do it with arms and legs. Expect your world vision to change as you begin to do this as well. Let God change YOU through action. It's been His plan all along!
I remain...
InHISgrip,
~J~
P.S. Expect to be surprised at what doors will open as a result.