Try It...You Might Like It!

Try It...You Might Like It!

Here is a simple way to initiate praying for other people who you have never met before. Yes, praying for other people. Prayer is powerful and the more we pray for other people the more we will see Jesus move in our lives and the lives of others.

Taking the iniative to pray for people is the best way I have found to make space for God to use me in touching the lives of people.

And yes, I did say praying for people you have never met before. Depending on your background and personality type-- you are either checking in or checking out about now. If you are like most people I know, the idea of praying for people you don't know and have never met before is not your idea of a good time. 

But you will be amazed how easy it is and how comfortable it is when people are approached honestly, clearly and with genuine compassion. Let me outline one way I have found to be able to pray for people I have never met before.

You go out to eat. It is your practice to quietly bow your head and offer a short prayer of thanks before the meal. Here's what I discovered. After my server comes to my table, greets me, asks what I want to drink and then ultimately takes my order, this is what I say. I quietly speak the server's name and say,

"I (we) usually pray quietly before our meal. Is there something for you or someone you know that I could pray for when I (we) pray?"

You are sharing you usually pray before a meal as a normal practice. You let them know you're praying quietly so you're not going to go weird on them. You're just asking how you can include your sever in your prayer.

You're not asking to pray with them. You just asking them if they have something or someone you can pray for when you do pray.

Some of the responses I have heard from servers are:
"Thank you for asking."
"No one has ever asked me that before."
"That's the nicest thing I ever had a customer ask me."

I would say over 90% give me a specific prayer request. The requests range from someone in their family who is sick or a concern about a child. Some ask for prayer about upcoming job interviews. Some are students and have financial needs. Many ask for prayer for their children. I have even prayed for baby sitting needs so a parent can work without worrying about their child being safe.

More than once I have seen server's eyes tear up and share something that had just happened that day. Like a parent just diagnosed with a disease or gone to the hospital. And more than one mom asked me to pray for their teenage child.

Very few have said, "no". Some have smiled and said "No, I'm good" or "Can't think of a thing." My response is to smile and say "that's great, thank you". Those are the server's I love to pray for because I know it is God's timing for me to have them as my server. Here's how I pray for them:

"Jesus, please reveal yourself to (server's name). Show yourself to them and show them how much you love them. And do it in a way they will know it's because of this prayer." It will be fun to find out in heaven what happened as a result of these kinds of prayers.

Here's a response I have heard more than once. "Well, I'm not very religious". I just smile and say, "Neither am I but I do like to talk to God sometimes." Most people laugh and give me a prayer request.

Why am I suggesting this idea to you? Because the more we can share with others in a way that is genuine and natural, the more opportunities we will have to see Jesus move in amazing ways.

Isn't that what Matthew did? He took a normal situation and allowed Jesus the opportunity to step in and reveal Himself. Matthew had a few friends over to his house for dinner to meet Jesus. There were even some Pharasees that made it into the house. And Jesus took the opportunity to reveal that He was coming for the sick and hurting, and not for the "religious" who thought they didn't need Him.

Try this the next time you go out to eat. Now I don't do this everytime. Sometimes it just doesn't "feel right" and I don't do it. Sometimes...well, I just forget to do it. But when I do-- I am always amazed how Jesus uses those situations and surprises both the server and me.

Try it. You might like it.