But Did I Do What They Asked Me To Do?

If, like me, you are on Facebook, hardly a day goes by without it happening. In fact, on many days, it happens multiple times.

The specific situations may be somewhat different, but the request is the same. It might be that the person posting on Facebook or somebody close to that person is very ill. Maybe a relative or close friend has passed from this life. It might be that some sort of economic reversal has taken place. Maybe somebody is traveling. A new chapter may be getting ready to open in somebody’s life. 

I think you get the idea. While the specifics may be different, there is a common request. That request is,

“Please pray for ____________.”

I’ve been doing some thinking about this lately. I’m wondering if what I do is what they ask me to do. I may do a lot of things, but I may fail to do what was requested of me.

“Emoji-ing” is not praying. I think I’ve invented a word here, but let me explain. I may read the request and find an appropriate emoji. I may quickly click on one that indicates that I “like” or “love” their request. I suppose this is supposed to make the person feel better because I’ve at least let him or her know that I didn’t totally ignore it. If the request is about something troubling, I may find an emoji that indicates my own sadness about what the person is going through. I might even find one of those “praying hands emojis.” That should really make them feel like I really care, but “emoji-ing” is not praying.

Typing is not praying. Instead of clicking on an emoji, I may actually take the time to type real words. I might just type one word – “praying” – or I might actually take the time to type an entire sentence (or at least a phrase). I could even add that I am willing to help in any way that I can. It wouldn’t matter if I typed paragraph after paragraph. Typing is not praying.

Sharing is not praying. If I choose to share the request with all of my Facebook friends, I may feel as though I’m doing a noble thing. After all, I’m ostensibly trying to enlist a lot of people in behalf of the person who has asked for prayers. At the same time, it could be that I’m merely kidding myself (or others). What I’m doing when I share the request may be just a degree or two removed from gossiping. Whatever my motives are and whatever the outcome is, sharing is not praying.

Maybe you can think of other options. Maybe you have done one of these and/or some option that has not been considered here. Maybe, while you are thinking, you might think about the simple request that most of us see on a regular basis.

It might also be good to think about these inspired words:

…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much

(James 5:16, KJV, emphasis added)

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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn