Take note!

I’m starting to realize that this blog is becoming the place that I think to go when something is burning on my heart. When I feel like I need to tell somebody but don’t necessarily want to blazon it on Facebook or calling up a friend…either for fear of sounding too preachy or offending someone or coming off as if I think I’m better than anyone. I can assure you, anyone that may read this in the future…I do not feel as if I am better than anyone. Most of the time if something is burning on my heart it is because God is working on ME! He has spoken a message to my heart meant to change me and it just feels like such a huge revelation to me that I just HAVE to share it with others. Which, is exactly what has happened today.


Earlier today I read a small post on a fantastic website. The author, Nicole Cottrell lists 10 “churchy” phrases that Christians spout out that either make no sense or are just over used and have lost their meaning. The article is called,  Top 10 Christian Phrases I Never Want to Hear Again. As I was reading it I laughed a little to myself because there were a few statements that I could understand her frustration with (you just have to read the article!). But, one in particular spoke very loudly to me. Telling someone “I’ll pray for you”. How can that possibly frustrate her?!

Nicole (such a clever name…kind of just roll’s off of the tongue, doesn’t it? ;) ), explains that it is not the phrase that she is frustrated with. As Christians we should all be in prayer with our amazing God. The Bible is FULL of examples of Godly men and women praying for others…Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Paul…He was constantly praying for someone! We should pray for others. When others are blessed, we too should feel the blessing. So, to pray for others is absolutely necessary. The frustration comes when someone responds with that phrase and never follows through in prayer….ouch! This hit me right in the heart…as it should have!

While we may have the best of intentions (and I do always mean it when I say it!), intentions are not going to intercede for our friends in need. We are to fall on our knees before our merciful God and call on his grace and ask for His blessings to flow upon them. If I tell my friend, I will watch your children on Friday night so she can get your hair done, she can bank on the fact that I will be there on Friday night. I rarely back out of my commitments and then it is only when absolutely necessary. I would write it in my planner, program it in my phone, and sometimes even ask for a reminder from my husband. How can I think that it is any less important to intercede on her behalf and pray to my Father for her? I’m sure, whatever the situation may be, it is definitely more important than her hair appointment!

I’m sure we all really do intend to pray for the people to whom we say, “I’ll pray for you”. But, with life’s busyness, we get…well, busy. We would forget our heads if they weren’t attached, at least I would! So, as our failsafe, we’ve all developed a system that works for us to remind us of the things. Some use their smartphone, some a planner, some a good ol’ calendar and, for some of us, all of the above! I know you know where I’m going with this…why shouldn’t we do the same for our prayer list. We don’t all have to keep a prayer journal. I try but I am horrible at routine. But, I do think it is important to keep track of those that need our prayers and those that we have committed to praying for. I know a man who is a high ranking military officer but first and foremost is an incredible man of God. He and his wife have raised some of the most incredible, spirit filled children I’ve ever met. We were all speaking in a group after church one day and someone asked us all to pray for them. We all agreed and this man pulled out of his pocket this small, tattered, leather covered spiral notebook (the flip kind that detectives use in the movies). He jotted it down and stuck it in his pocket. I noticed but didn’t say anything. A few weeks later, I was talking to his teenage son and mentioned a younger kid that was in need of prayer. He reached into his pocket and began jotting in his small, not-quite-as-tattered, leather bound spiral notebook and jotted the request down. I knew exactly what he was doing. This 16 year old boy had been taught by his father how important it was to take the prayer requests of others seriously. I KNEW that he would be in prayer for that boy later on.

Apparently, this is a lesson like so many others, that I didn’t quite get the first, second or third time God presented it to me. BUT…I am going to try my hardest and pray that I get it this time. I do take others needs seriously. I do feel like we are here to help each other along in life until we are dancing at the feet of Jesus. I want others to know that I am serious in my commitment to them. So, if I ever tell you that I will pray for you…you can believe that I WILL pray for you! You may just have to remind me to jot it down!