IJP4U

IJP4U - I just prayed for you. My mom texts me this often and I cannot tell you how good it makes me feel! It is better than an "I love you" or an "I miss you." It is the ultimate expression of love in my eyes. Think about it. My mom just stopped her day to enter the throne room of the living God and instead of asking for something for herself or for world peace, she asked God to think of me. The very same God that knows the names of all the stars and the number of grains of sand lining the ocean.

I think we as Christians tend to say we will pray for people rather flippantly. How many times have I told someone I would pray for them and never did? How many times have I thought, "I really don't want to get myself involved in that situation so I will just tell them I am praying instead of actually helping." The truth is, truly praying for a situation is the ultimate act of service, IF you actually do the praying. On the flip side of that, saying we will pray for someone and not actually doing it is the ultimate act of betrayal. It's like telling someone who just lost their job that you will hand deliver their resume to the owner of a company that you have an intimate relationship with and then never actually doing it, but saying you did. What kind of friend does that? And yet, I have to admit I am guilty. I have told people I would pray and never done it. I have asked people to pray for me knowing full well they would not do it either.

I found that the answer goes back to that text from my mom. My mom once told me to never tell someone that you are going to pray for them, only tell them after you have done it. This way, you aren't setting yourself up for failure before it even happens and when you do deliver the news, that you have prayed, they don't have to wonder, "Are you really going to pray for me?"

Prayer is the single most important tool we have as Christians. Only God changes hearts, only God controls the consequences of life that is around us and only God is in charge of the universe. Going to Him for help, comfort, provision and support is the most effective thing we can do to help those around us. Thanking Him for caring about us is vital to our own well being.

Don't lie about praying. REALLY PRAY! IJP4U

Christianity should not be safe

There is a local Christian radio station who's tag line is "safe for the whole family." I totally understand what they mean and I love the station, but when I hear that, I automatically think, "my brother wouldn't think so." My brother is not a Christian and so all things Christian or even things about God get him fired up. When my nephew was young, my brother would not let my mom take him to bible study with her because my nephew would then come home and start asking his dad questions that my brother was not ready to answer.

This got me to thinking. Christianity is not safe and quite frankly, it shouldn't be! Jesus was crucified on a cross! Peter was crucified upside down for being a Christian. Stephen was stoned to death, Paul spent most of his life in jails. Ask the Christian in China how safe it is. Jesus himself said that they persecuted me, they will persecute you.

So why is it that we tell people to come to Jesus and your life will be great! That is a lie! What we should be saying is come to Jesus, life will be harder, you will experience pain, hardship, persecution and probably die because of it, but it's so worth it! Because your life will have purpose, meaning and your soul will be filled. You will realize that this life is just a game and the real deal is coming after death.

I feel sorry for people who wear Jesus like a suit. They just put Him on when they need to look good or get out of a particular situation and then put Him back in the closet when they want to do things their own way. I know, I used to be that person. What an empty, sad life! How alone they feel. I pray that every person who lives this way will have something major rock their world so they can come face to face with the true power of Christ and they can learn to live authentically through Him.

I pray that we as Christians will stop lying to people to try and get them "on the side of God" and start telling them the truth so they too can have a real relationship with the one true living God. It is a dangerous life to live, but I for one like danger! Especially when I know we already won.