Does My Emoji Count? Spoiler Alert: NOPE.
"With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith." - 2 Thessalonians 1:11
Isn't that just so "Christian" of us?
"Well, we will be praying about that for you..."
"Praying!" (insert emoji prayer hands)
"Oh, I'm just praying it will all work out..."
But are you really? Or has prayer become an empty promise of a solution that we just aren't cashing checks on.
Paul wrote these words in Thessalonians because the Thessalonicans were facing persecution for their faith. Without a doubt, some were imprisoned, robbed or beaten for believing in God.
But Paul has reassurance for them - we are PRAYING for you.
In the Message version, Paul says "we pray for you all the time - pray that our God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, pray that he'll fill your good idea and act of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something."
I can't tell you how many times I said to someone "I'll pray for you about that" or "we will keep you in our prayers" or commented on a post "We are praying!"
But am I?
I recently started forming a habit that I would love to share with you:
When I say that I'm going to pray for you? I do it. Right. Then. I'm not a shy prayer, so I will ask the person if I can pray with them right then. If they look at me like I have 4 heads and they want to crawl under a table and die, then I will pray quietly for them in my mind.
If I comment on a post or a text to someone that I am praying for them, I will pray for them immediately or write their name down in my notebook so that they are on the page of my daily writing and my prayer thoughts.
Don't make it hard. A name on a sticky note ain't rocket science, ya'll.
And if you have no intention of praying for that person or challenge? Then don't promise it.
(Remember when someone called me "lovingly confrontational?" Yeah. That's what it looks like right there.)
Hear me loud and clear: prayer is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal. It's actually our ONLY weapon.
The devil is not afraid of our "threats" of prayer. He doesn't skip a beat when you insert emojis.
He only cowers when we lift our hands and voice to the Lord and KNOCK. HIM. DOWN.
So don't just say it. Don't let that promise be empty. Pray for others with intention and pray, pray, pray all the time.
Isn't that just so "Christian" of us?
"Well, we will be praying about that for you..."
"Praying!" (insert emoji prayer hands)
"Oh, I'm just praying it will all work out..."
But are you really? Or has prayer become an empty promise of a solution that we just aren't cashing checks on.
Paul wrote these words in Thessalonians because the Thessalonicans were facing persecution for their faith. Without a doubt, some were imprisoned, robbed or beaten for believing in God.
But Paul has reassurance for them - we are PRAYING for you.
In the Message version, Paul says "we pray for you all the time - pray that our God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, pray that he'll fill your good idea and act of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something."
I can't tell you how many times I said to someone "I'll pray for you about that" or "we will keep you in our prayers" or commented on a post "We are praying!"
But am I?
I recently started forming a habit that I would love to share with you:
When I say that I'm going to pray for you? I do it. Right. Then. I'm not a shy prayer, so I will ask the person if I can pray with them right then. If they look at me like I have 4 heads and they want to crawl under a table and die, then I will pray quietly for them in my mind.
If I comment on a post or a text to someone that I am praying for them, I will pray for them immediately or write their name down in my notebook so that they are on the page of my daily writing and my prayer thoughts.
Don't make it hard. A name on a sticky note ain't rocket science, ya'll.
And if you have no intention of praying for that person or challenge? Then don't promise it.
(Remember when someone called me "lovingly confrontational?" Yeah. That's what it looks like right there.)
Hear me loud and clear: prayer is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal. It's actually our ONLY weapon.
The devil is not afraid of our "threats" of prayer. He doesn't skip a beat when you insert emojis.
He only cowers when we lift our hands and voice to the Lord and KNOCK. HIM. DOWN.
So don't just say it. Don't let that promise be empty. Pray for others with intention and pray, pray, pray all the time.
We all should be in power of our word!!it's all you have. Way to call out and keep it real in your lovingly confrontational way Liz! (Insert high 5 emoji)
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