Praying On The Spot

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Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and choosing the Truth Podcast Network. And now, here's James. So today we're going to talk about something so practical and so helpful and really so simple that we could miss it.

But we don't want to miss it, right, James? You suddenly become aware of a need in someone's life, and they're standing right there, and you have that opportunity, you know, right then and there with them where you can go to God and let him into the moment. And good things always follow as a result.

Oh, that's so good. And often I do that on the air, you know, just like I'll hear the prayer need and I'm like, okay, let's pray. But don't you think we often miss that opportunity either because we're just not used to it or not thinking about it, right? You know, I think as a radio host on a Christian station, that's going to come naturally to you. But, you know, for others, sometimes there are challenges. A lot of people aren't used to praying with others. And, you know, we might become concerned, for example, about what they might think if we just pray for them. But once we become aware of those fears, God can turn them into something good. Yeah.

In what ways, James? Well, the first thing that comes to mind might be, you know, who does that? Who prays on the spot? And the answer is Jesus. I heard the author Paul Miller say in a talk once that praying on the spot is the closest thing, get this, to Jesus' healing ministry that we have.

Think about it. He was going from one place to the other and often someone would interrupt him and, you know, almost always it was a need for healing and he'd stop right there on the spot and he'd help them. And of course, that often involved praying for them. Oh, wow. That makes sense.

Yeah. So the concern about what others may think can be turned into a good thing if we see it as, Lord, help me to be like Jesus. Let them see you in me. Help me to be humble and loving. Not, you know, a condescending kind of, let me pray for you. But doing it gently with a servant's heart.

I love that. And you're so right. I mean, this is something that Jesus did all the time. So let's look at this practically.

I mean, how does it happen? Well, first, you know, we just need to be real about it. I think we have to be prayed up ourselves and, you know, if we're staying in prayer pretty consistently throughout the day, then we'll know when God is leading us to it. And it won't seem like, you know, it's an unnatural thing. Because again, we need to be just as natural about this as possible.

You mean we shouldn't use the king's English? Exactly. I mean, what we want to do is just include God in the conversation, you know, welcome him in. And if we're going to sound like the resident holy man when we pray, then it's probably better not, you know, to pray aloud at all.

Because again, that won't seem real to people. But when your friend is just sharing something with you, you know, just using the same words they did and pray for them that way. Right. What you're talking about really is a mini prayer meeting, right? Then and there.

Yeah, yeah. And there's no pressure for the other person to pray. Just, you know, finish your prayer with them and amen or in Jesus name and and pause for a moment. And if they want to pray, great.

But that brings up another point as well. Keep it very short. You know, I think we've we've all stood there when someone was praying for us and they kept going and going and you're so grateful for the prayer. But at the same time, you're thinking, well, yeah. And also know that you may have caught someone by surprise. You know, you may be in a busy place where there are a lot of distractions around.

So short is sweet. Yeah. This is such an important way of letting God's life and spirit not only into the moment, you know, but also into our everyday relationships. Yeah, it really is. I mean, it's a it's a way of of talking about God by just talking to him. You know, it's a way of staying close to him and also close with others.

Because when you pray for someone, God has a way of moving in that moving in our hearts, helping us love them with his love. So how do you get used to doing this really if you've never done it before? Well, again, it helps, I think, not to worry about the words you use, as we were saying. And I think the best thing to do is first to pray about it, to ask God to help you and then to remember that you got to just do it. You know, practice makes perfect, so to speak. Try to make a habit of doing it.

So how might you get started? I mean, what would it sound like in a normal everyday conversation? Well, let's say someone has just told you about a need or an illness or a problem in their life or in the life of someone they care about. And, you know, after listening, you say something like, well, may I pray about this? And then just do it. You know, don't even wait for a response. Don't say, would you mind if I pray about that? Because that could lead to sort of an awkward pause.

Just jump in. And more often than not, if your prayer is short and simple and sincere, you'll be surprised at the response from the other person. You know, sometimes they'll tear up. Sometimes they'll just say thank you. You know, I've never had someone say, how dare you do that? The response has always been something like, thank you so much. I needed that. Yeah, I mean, the cool thing is it brings up God in a gentle and caring way.

Yeah, that's it. It's really a way of loving others with our prayers. And it's also a way of doing something about the need in their lives, right?

And there's something practical, something real. If we're praying with faith, we have to understand that. And you may find that when you're praying, even for a moment, God gives you an idea or he gives you an insight or, you know, he increases your compassion for the person and their need. I mean, this is just a beautiful thing.

Yeah. So after you've prayed this way, you've paused and maybe they've prayed or not, but then what's next? Well, just continue the conversation. You know, again, be as natural as possible. Again, this is one of those simple things, but that's also one of the reasons why we miss doing it. So we need to ask God to help us, to give us the boldness to do this, to have the heart for it, the heart for him, the heart for others, you know, and the sensitivity to see the opportunity. And then we'll be natural. You know, we'll just go about it in the right way.

Oh, that's so helpful, James. So now I'm going to ask you to do it. You mean pray on the spot?

Of course! Let's do it. Father, help us with this. Help us to be just faithful, loving witnesses. And I pray for our listeners who've never done this, that you would encourage them and bless them.

Give them an opportunity, even today, to pray with someone. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray. This is the Truth Network.