Happy to Pray

One of the main reasons I love being on Facebook, is that it allows me to keep in touch with my family and friends, the majority of whom are good Christians. If I am ever feeling down, sad, angry, aggravated, or annoyed, I can pop over to Facebook and I can rest assured that my friend’s posts will cheer me up.
 
Many of them post funny things that make me smile, silly videos that make laugh, or Bible verses that speak directly to me about my current situation or mood. It can actually be rather freaky how timely some of these posts can be. I realized a good while back that God uses Facebook to speak to us. He certainly does work in mysterious ways! And, I am so grateful for that. I am also grateful that I have people in my life who are doing God’s work through social media-- even if they don’t realize it.
 
I also have many friends who will ask for prayers. Some of them are unspoken prayer requests and some of them are specifically laid out. Some of them are for their family members and some of them are about situations they are facing in their lives. Each time I see a prayer request from my family and friends, no matter what the issue is, I pray for them right then and there.
 
I will often times type in a response of some sort to let my friends know that I am praying for them. A lot of times I say something to the effect of “happy to pray.” This may seem like an odd thing to say, but for me it is true. I am always happy to pray for the people I care about. That doesn’t mean I am necessarily happy about what I am praying about, or why I am praying, but I believe that praying in and of itself is a wonderful thing.
 
When we pray, we are spending time with God. Is there anything greater than that here on earth? I don’t think there are many things that can top spending time with God. It is something that I, personally, don’t do enough of. (Although, I am doing a much better job of it now than I did a few years ago.) Even if it is only for a few brief seconds, saying a prayer for someone else gives us another chance to spend time with God. It is a great way to remain grounded and helps us pull our focus to what really matters – doing God’s work and loving and helping one another.
 
Over the past year I have purposefully set time apart each morning and each evening to spend time with God. These are the two most important times in my day. In the mornings I read Bible verses sent to me via email and I read a daily devotional. In the evening, before I go to bed, I try to read a chapter in my Bible. But, being a wife and working a full-time job, I often get so busy during the day that I forget to spend a few minutes with God. This is where my jaunts to Facebook help. I see Bible verses there that I can focus on. And, more importantly, I see my friend’s prayer requests and I can help intercede to God on their behalf.
 
Praying for others isn’t something to take lightly, nor is it something to be accepted from others lightly. When you offer to pray for other people, I feel like that is a big deal. At least, it should be a big deal. When you pray for someone, it means you care. Prayer should be the first thing you do in any situation, not your last resort. God wants to hear from you and He wants to help you. So, the next time you need prayers, first pray for yourself and your situation boldly. Then reach out to others and ask them to pray for you. It is no small thing. It is a big and powerful thing. Be willing to help those that you care about—pray for them! (And, remember to so gladly.)