Its like a sneeze reflex…

I have a major problem with the phrase, “I’ll be praying for you.”  Its not that its not wonderful and hopeful and supportive, but I often see it as a letdown and another empty promise.  Now, there are many Christians who do pray for people when they say they are going to, but I bet that most don’t.  I admit, I’m guilty here, but isn’t everyone? My problem lies in the fact that “I’ll be praying for you” has become the Christian fall back phrase, like when you hear someone sneeze, you say “God Bless You”..well, when we hear about someone’s problem we say “I’ll be praying for you.”  Its like the heart has been taken out of prayer and we just go through the motions, its pure habit.

I think that we need to start really praying… and not just praying…but praying BIG…expecting something bigger of ourselves, the world around us and our lives!  God wants the best for us and he says that if we ask we will receive, so WHY AREN’T WE ASKING?

I’m challenging myself to start praying now. Not later. Not tonight. Not tomorrow. Now. When someone has a problem or is facing a huge life circumstance, don’t you think that it would be so much more powerful for you to say “lets pray now” instead of “I’ll be praying for you”? Don’t you think that they will feel so much more loved and encouraged when you come together in that moment to ask God to be working in their life? (No excuses here of not having time…prayer doesn’t have to be long…1 minute will do, and 60 seconds won’t break your day!) As Christians we need to start building each other up, coming together and showing LOVE and ENCOURAGEMENT! Prayer is the perfect way to do that! And while we’re at it…we shouldn’t just pray the “Lord if you just…” prayers…pray the “Lord make this big” prayers.  Pray in the moment and expect something more from God than “just” what you need.

Lets break the “sneeze reflex” response and just do it now.