You hear it all the time. You see the posts on social media. We even say it ourselves. “I’ll pray for you.” 
Then we walk away and forget, or we add them to our list for prayer at the end of the day.
I was in the hallway of my church one Sunday when one of my ministers and a friend was telling us about a medical procedure she had coming up the next week. The first words out of my mouth, “I’ll pray for you.” Without hesitation, my minister said, “Let’s pray right here, right now.” And we did.
What a concept. To stop and pray in that moment. It’s something we as Christians say we’ll do, then our lives get busy and we forget. Our intentions are good, but the execution never occurs.
It takes very little time to bring someone up to God. 1 John 5:14 states, This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And the more you pray for another in that instant, the easier it becomes.
Immediate prayer gives encouragement to those who need it. It also shows you truly care. Too often saying “I’ll pray for you,” becomes a rote response. When you pray immediately, your walk with God reaches a new level. It shows more faith. It’s no longer routine. Most importantly, by immediately praying, you will never forget.
_________________________
If your day is hemmed in with prayer, it is less likely to come unraveled. — Cynthia Lewis
_________________________
Some of us have become very routine in our prayer life. Not only is it a certain time of day, either morning or evening, but our prayers have even become rehearsed. Whereas, if we do immediate prayers, two things occur.
Your prayers are more heartfelt, not only to the person you’re praying for, but to God himself. There is more an immediate urgency to the prayer, not a recorded prayer that appears to be memorized.
The second thing is, you have a better day. When you have a chance to pray for others, you keep God more at the forefront of your mind. This helps make your day go more smoothly.
So next time you see a post or someone in need of prayer, stop and pray in that instant. It will prove you mean what you’re saying, and it’s not said out of habit. And isn’t that what we all want? To be on another’s heart and not on their list.
If you or someone you know are in need of prayer this week, please leave a comment. We’d be more than happy to pray for you. And if this post moved you in some way, please feel free to share it.
Sign up to receive free books and my quarterly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bEucsn
