Pray for Me…Maybe

I came across some country song lyrics the other day which made me take a step back. The song is called “Pray for You”, written and sung by Jaron & The Long Road To Love. At first the wit and humor of the song caught my attention, but after I listened to the song a couple of times…it really started to hit me. Meanings to what we all say in life really are a crucial part of our communication process.

“…Sometimes we get angry but we must not condemn
Let the good Lord do his job, you just pray for them -

I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill
I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill
And knocks you in the head like I'd like to
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you're flyin' high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know wherever you are, honey, I pray for you”

Now I have people in my life always telling me they will—or are—praying for me. From this moment on I’ll most likely smile, even if just on the inside, every time I hear that. Chances are it will be very clear as to the meaning and motive of what that person is saying, but it does give me pause as to how we can say what people want to hear, even if our intention is anything but honorable.

As most of you know, I love a good twist on a concept as much as the next guy and I applaud this writer for doing just that. I would like to take it one step further, however. With all seriousness…we should always be very clear when we communicate with others, especially when we step into the role of spiritually comforting, petitioning, uplifting or advising them. When we say, “I’ll be praying for you” don’t make it a flippant or passive comment, make it real…or don’t say it. When it comes to the accountability of a Christian we should always take every situation to heart. Jesus Christ modeled this for us all too well; with a grueling physical outcome, but a glorious spiritual result. We need to remember that our purpose here on earth is to spread the gospel, plain and simple. Within that commission we need to continually fortify each other with support, guidance and prayer. Just remember to pray with the love of Christ in your heart and not fall prey to some country satire.

Greg Morton
© June 11, 2010

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