1 Timothy 2:1-4
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Today I visited my grandmother at her Assisted Living Facility, and for the third time in two weeks, her clothing and laundry were in disarray. I have tried to remain calm and be nice, but I’ve firmly let those in charge know that I am not happy about this. I’ve asked myself, “How hard could it be to fold a person’s laundry and put it in the proper drawers? Can’t they hang up her house dresses and blouses…and match her socks in pairs in the sock drawer?” As I drove home, I thought about how a lot of the work in nursing homes and assisted living facilities is not very pleasant. But the Apostle Paul tells us that whatever we are doing, we should do it to the best of our ability. Doesn’t this include a job that involves handling other people’s laundry?
I turned off the highway toward our neighborhood, and I very clearly heard, “You must pray for them.” Now I have to tell you, I’ve prayed for individuals who work at my grandmother’s facility…and most certainly for many of the residents there. I have prayed for the nurse whose mother is in her last months of a battle with cancer and the administrator whose husband died unexpectedly… the family of the young housekeeper killed in a car wreck on her way home from work one evening… and the aide who was widowed last year and is helping to rear two young grandchildren. But I can’t say for certain that I have collectively prayed for all of the staff who care for my grandmother and her neighbors… that I have asked God to meet their needs in their personal lives and as they serve those in their care. Yet today, I distinctly heard, “You must pray for them.” And I will.
A few years ago, we moved into a house very near the hospital. Several times a week, we hear helicopters landing at the emergency room… transports for persons who are seriously ill and need expedient medical attention – or a higher-level care than is offered at our local facility. One night as the helicopter landed, I began to pray… for the person in need of medical attention… for the staff on the ground and the flight crew… for those at the other hospital who were waiting to receive this patient… and for the family and friends who might be frightened and stressed. I asked God to touch each person… to offer strength, comfort and care… to meet all needs of everyone involved, according to His will.
I don’t know why I decided this was important. But since then, I’ve made this a practice. One late December night I prayed as the helicopter landed, and I later learned the person being transported was my cousin, JD. A tree had fallen full force across his face, breaking nearly every bone there. I never know who might be in the helicopter, and it doesn’t matter… I try to always pray whenever I hear the choppers fly overhead. After all, we are called to pray for all people. And if praying for those involved in a medical emergency flight is important… wouldn’t it be just as important to pray for those who care for my grandmother each day?
Moreover, we don’t often think to pray for our municipal workers, our sheriff and his deputies, the judges in our courts, or our lawmakers and governmental leaders… but we should. Much of what happens in our everyday lives is directly affected by these people and their decisions and actions. We don’t take time to pray for our teachers and coaches… or even our pastor. But these folks help to mold lives and shape the future of our children and those in our churches and communities…and world at large. Don’t they deserve our prayers of intercession?
I’m still not happy with how my grandmother’s laundry is being handled… and we won’t always approve of how our leaders manage things… how we’re treated medically… or the decisions of our teachers and coaches. We won’t like every single person we pray for… but still, we must pray for them – all of them. I told my mother the other day that my prayer list is getting mighty long these days… and yours probably is, too. But that’s okay. Break it down throughout the day. Remember one person or group to God in this breath and someone else in the next. You don’t have to have a “sit-down” prayer session where you list each and every person… although this is okay, too. It really doesn’t matter HOW you pray for all people… but it does matter that you do so.
Prayer is powerful. Prayer draws us closer to God. Our prayers humble us and honor God in the process. When we pray, we operate in obedience. When we pray for others, we operate with integrity. Is prayer for all people an integral part of your life these days? Don’t you think it should be?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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