Pray! Pray!

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:11-21

Be very careful . . . how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity. . . . do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
-Ephesians 5:1517 (NIV)

MY two-year-old daughter often repeats one word as many as six or seven times before moving on to the next. I admit that I tune her out sometimes, especially if I am attempting to have an adult conversation.

Our next-door neighbor came over one day just as we were sitting down to lunch. Feeling a little inconvenienced, I nonetheless invited her to sit with us. The neighbor began to pour out her heart about a serious medical condition she was facing. She was very worried. I could hear the Lord speaking in my heart, nudging me, "Don't just say you're going to pray for her. Do it now. Pray in her presence." I tried to disregard the Spirit.

Suddenly, I heard the word my daughter was repeating. "Pray! Pray!" she was saying, waiting for me to give thanks for her food. I grabbed her hand, and as she held the neighbor's, we gave thanks for our food and prayed for this woman we both love. As I closed the prayer "in Jesus' name," I saw that my neighbor's eyes had filled with tears. I blinked back a few tears of my own, hoping that this would be one of many opportunities to share my faith.

by Sarah Beth Snook (South Carolina, USA)