When God Calls You to Pray... Do it!

Have you ever randomly, out of the clear blue, thought of a person you haven't seen in years? This happened to me about 3 months ago. One of the cutest young girls in my youth group came to mind. She was 4 or 5 years younger than me. I couldn't stop thinking about her so I started praying for her. I began to ask around and discovered she left home and was struggling with a drug addiction. Noone knew where she was. When I heard this, I prayed even more. I cried tears for her and begged God for his mercy on her life. It was a prayer obsession. Why could I not stop thinking about her?

In God's great plan, 4 months after I began praying, he allowed me to have contact with this sweet girl. I realized at the time I was on my knees begging God to free her from her addictions, she was trying to get clean.

I learned a very valuable lesson from this experience. When God calls you to pray for someone, do it! You don't know their struggles, fears, pain, or addictions! But...when a random old acquaintence pops into your mind, pop down on your knees, and pray! Wouldn't it be great to know someone was doing the same thing for you?

Remember the four friends who brought the lame man to Jesus on the mat? They couldn't get the man inside where Jesus was teaching so they climbed on the roof and lowered him to Jesus. Because of their faith, Jesus healed and saved the lame man.

When we pray for our friends, we are like those four guys. We may not physically be able to take our friends to Jesus on a mat, but we can escort them into his loving presence through prayer. So... the next time a name crosses your mind, stop right then and escort a friend into the amazing love, forgiveness, and power of Jesus through prayer.