2Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;3meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,4that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.5Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
Prayer is a powerful tool that God has entrusted to us - He invites us to communicate with Him, and in His name, we can experience power and assurance as we come before His throne of grace. We find in Hebrews 4 that He offers to us grace and mercy to help in time of need. And, this is effective for our own lives as well as the lives of those with whom we may interact. A simple prayer for the needs of another can build a powerful bridge that could lead into deeper discussion of spiritual matters, those important concerns of the heart. As we pray for one another, we can help another person to experience the resources of heaven.
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In Romans chapter 12, we see a listing of some actions that we can take and attitudes we can adopt toward other people, including possessing a prayerful spirit:10Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;11not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;12rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;13distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
John Lopez, Pastor of El Alfarero Church in the Houston area has observed the way that drive-through restaurants are crowded on a regular basis. So, his church has adapted that model for a more spiritual activity - prayer.
That's according to a report on the Christian Today website, drivers and their passengers simply drive up, roll down their windows, and receive prayer about their given topic from church volunteers. The prayer drive-through is especially ideal for busy people and those who may never step inside a church or pray on their own.
Pastor Lopez is quoted as saying to media outlet ABC13: ""It's so unique in this fast world that we live in today...Look at your drive-through restaurants. Their windows are packed every day."
Co-pastor Danny Quintanilla says, "If you need prayer, no matter what background you are, we all need a prayer, we all need someone to pray with us, and that's what it's for."
The prayer drive-through runs on certain weekends and stays open all day.
The same article relates that a church in Jackson, Tennessee also offers an opportunity to interact with the public through prayer. Aldersgate United Methodist Church placed a simple sealed prayer box outside their church for commuters to deposit their prayer requests. They were inundated with requests after the prayer box was reported on by the local newspaper.
Aldersgate lay leader Barry Matthews said the church was receiving prayer requests "that just grab your heart". The article relates that he told The Christian Post back in May that they had been contacted by churches across the country looking to engage with the high volumes of drivers passing by their buildings or using their parking lots. He said, "There are so many people out there who are going through challenges in their lives and are searching for answers."
The same article relates that a church in Jackson, Tennessee also offers an opportunity to interact with the public through prayer. Aldersgate United Methodist Church placed a simple sealed prayer box outside their church for commuters to deposit their prayer requests. They were inundated with requests after the prayer box was reported on by the local newspaper.
Aldersgate lay leader Barry Matthews said the church was receiving prayer requests "that just grab your heart". The article relates that he told The Christian Post back in May that they had been contacted by churches across the country looking to engage with the high volumes of drivers passing by their buildings or using their parking lots. He said, "There are so many people out there who are going through challenges in their lives and are searching for answers."
This is a nice follow-up to my report last week on the prayer survey that was conducted by LifeWay Research in partnership with author Max Lucado. That survey was notable, because it showed not only what people are praying for, but also the frequency of prayer. What struck me was that people by and large believed prayer was answered at least some of the time, but a significantly smaller number of people actually prayed on a daily basis.
We do have to remember, as this lay leader in Tennessee said, that people are searching for answers in the challenges of their lives. Now, that may be a description of your situation, as well. If we are facing difficulties in our lives or we are in consideration of decisions that are weighing down our hearts, we do well to make prayer not only a final option or one of many courses of action, but the first option and a consistent practice.
And, we realize that the opportunity to pray for someone else offers a chance to build a bridge with someone and could lead to conversation about deeper spiritual matters. Even though the encounter at the church in Houston may be brief, still there can be a connection made and a seed planted. When we pray for another person, and perhaps even let that person know that they are being prayed for, we can make a powerful impact with the love of Christ.
Finally, in reflecting on drive-through prayer or a prayer box at a church, it can lead us to think about the strangers whom God brings across our path each day. Perhaps the Lord is leading you to pray for or maybe even with another person, maybe even someone whom you have never met before. And, what would happen if instead of saying, "I'll pray for you," when made aware of a need, that we actually take the bold step at that moment to say a prayer. Prayer gives us a chance to be a conduit through which a person can connect with God in a profound way.
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