A Drive-By Prayer
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“Excuse me?” The woman said, rolling her car window down as she came to a stop in front of me. She was about my age, thirty or so, and had a bright, warm smile. I was pulled out of my reverie. “Yes?” I asked, walking a little closer to her car so I could hear her better. I was on my way back to the office building where I worked after checking the mail, and my thoughts were miles away. I thought she must want directions because multiple other facilities surrounded the building where I worked. Not all of them were marked with signs, and it was not uncommon for a GPS to lead someone to the parking lot and then abandon them with a final “You’ve arrived” without guiding them to the facility they were trying to reach.
So I was taken aback when, instead of asking for directions, the woman said, “I just wanted to ask how I can pray for you?” I was surprised and touched.
I let her know some general things and, in turn, asked how I could pray for her. She told me a few things and then said goodbye with a friendly “Have a blessed rest of your day!” The interaction made me consider my attitude toward prayer. Although I pray for the people in my life, I am rarely so intentional as to ask how I can pray for them. Sometimes I am short on time or struggle to remember a request, so I pray a quick and general drive-by prayer, knowing God knows the specifics of the situation. Yet here was this lady, taking time out of her day to ask for the specific prayer requests of a total stranger! I felt convicted. While it is true God knows every situation and considers the spirit with which we pray above the words we use (see Romans 8:26, 27), the interaction left me with a desire to be more intentional about praying for others. Will you pray the below prayer with me now? Dear Lord, I know the importance of intercessory prayer. I know You are a caring God who wants to hear the prayers of Your children. Thank You for knowing my heart and receiving my prayers, even when I don’t have all the words to say. Please help me to be sensitive to Your prompting and lift others up in intercessory prayer. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Kristin Beaven
