I walked into the office. The secretary seemed physically struggling with her
breathing and her countenance was different than normal.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Allergies," she replied. "Sometimes it gets so bad I can hardly breathe."
"May I pray for you?" I asked.
"Oh, I don't want to take up His time with something as menial as me. I'd rather
not waste it on me. You should pray for someone much less fortunate than me. My
mother always taught us to pray at the dinner table for those less fortunate
than us," she replied. The woman was touched that I would offer to pray for her.
The next day I told her my prayer group was praying for her. She could not
believe that I would do such a thing for her.
It is interesting what happens when you offer to pray for someone. Offering to
pray for someone can be the most genuine and loving thing you can do for another
person. It can be the one means of getting a conversation on a spiritual plane
that cuts across religious stigmas and gets to the root of the problem - the
person's real need. It immediately reveals your own values and sets the stage
for future encounters. All it takes is a little holy boldness to step through
the door when the opportunity seems to present itself.
Is there anything too small to pray about? Do we, in fact, bother God when we
make any request that is not dealing with only the poor in Calcutta? Paul
clearly tells us in this passage that prayer is talking with God. It is having
such a relationship with Him that we can bring anything to His attention.
We've all heard the housewife's prayer for a parking spot or other such
seemingly trivial prayer requests, but is this trivial to God? If God is our
closest and most intimate friend, then it becomes very natural to talk to Him as
you would a friend who might be sitting next to you in the car. Yes, God desires
to have such close communion with you and me that we can pray about
anything-even a parking spot.
As you enter the marketplace today, ask a coworker if you can pray for him about
something. You may be surprised at what doors will open as a result.
Excerpted with permission from the book TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman,
copyright 2000, Destiny Image Publishers, Reprinted by permission. For free
daily email subscription to TGIF Today God Is First marketplace meditations,
visit www.marketplaceleaders.org
(Os Hillman)
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