Prayer Ministry on the Spot

 
by Mary E. DeMuth  Issue #43 July/August 2004 

This past year, I've wanted to foster a 1 Thess. 5:17 "pray without ceasing" habit. I've learned that funny things happen when you try to live this way. People who need prayer start appearing out of the woodwork! Many of them are used to others saying, "Oh, that's horrible. I will pray for you." I think it delights God's heart when, instead of just saying we'll pray, we actually pray, right then and there.

Along this journey of spontaneous prayer, I've been forced to change my paradigms. Prayer is no longer a thing I only do at a certain time and place. It has become the air I breathe. Finding opportunities to pray for people has become a great adventure. Here are some points God has taught me along the way:

1. Strangers. Last year, I was just about to finish my first novel. At the end of one day, I didn't want to stop to make dinner, so I called out for pizza. When the pizza man came, he looked tired, and his eyes registered sadness. "Too many pizzas to deliver today?" I asked lightly. He shook his head. He told me he had had a bad day, peppered with family problems. The Lord told me to pray for him. At first I was uncomfortable with the idea. But finally, I relented. I asked him, "Would you mind if I prayed for you?" He didn't. By the time I was finished, he was crying. He thanked me, handed me the pizza, and left. A few hours later, I typed the last word of my novel and jumped up and down with delight. But in the quiet of my bed that night, the Lord whispered, "The most eternal thing you did today wasn't finishing the novel. It was praying for the pizza man."

2. Touch. A few weeks ago, I consulted with a friend who is writing a Bible resource for teen girls. When we finished our writer-talk, we prayed. I reached over and touched her hand as I prayed for her new literary adventure. After we finished, she thanked me. "I get so tired of prayer times where people are physically aloof," she said. "Thank you for touching me when we prayed."

3. Cyberprayer. Today I received a very sad email from a friend. Her husband had told her he did not love her and never did love her. I prayed for her as I responded to her email. As I typed, I decided that it might be good to include what I was praying right then in the email. I've done this a lot over the past year. It's been lovely to see people being changed by simple email prayers.

4. Gather around. One week at my Bible study, a few of the women shared some deep wounds. I encouraged us to gather around each one and pray for her. Turns out, it was the best study we ever had. As we agreed in prayer over each woman, we really connected. We cried. And we all left feeling God's love and healing touch in a new way.

 

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About the author:
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Mary E. DeMuth is a novelist, freelance writer, and columnist from Rowlett, Texas. She and her family will move to Southern France this August to plant churches.