DON'T PRAY FOR ME
I took one last look at the head pastor from the church gate,
he was already attending to other “brethren”. I shook my head and dusted my
shoes (figuratively). I’m not stepping foot in this church ever again. But the
question that kept coming to my mind was – Why are Christians like this? Why do we think the highest level of favour you can do for me is to pray for me? Why
do you think prayer is what everyone needs?
Please don’t pray for me.
Just the same morning, as I was about entering the
church premises, a little kid walked up to me. His short was torn, I wasn’t
sure if to call what he was wearing a shirt. There were little kids like that
in the area. They were called furoti
man’na (meaning Street Kids). I brought out my offering and handed it over to
him as that was all I had on me to give and somehow, I felt God himself must've looked down at me with a bright smile and a pat
on the back.
If anything, his prayer for breakfast has been answered. What
he needed right there and then, even though I was going into the house of
prayer wasn’t my prayers. He needed something in his tummy. Most people in this
part of the world, Christians especially, are only experts in praying for
others. Someone is hungry and you’re telling him the Lord is in control. But
the Lord has not controlled you to give him that small change in your pocket; I
guess.
Keep your prayers.
There’s a sister in church who has been looking for a job for
three years, and your firm recruits bi-annually. Instead of announcing it in
church, so people would send in their CVs. (Maybe
you might just be the answer to her prayers), you’ll rather tell her the
Lord will provide the best. Yea right, not just from your company.
We should pray for another as Christians of course, but why
pray when you can help? As I walked into the church, I overheard the head
pastor telling another pastor that he’ll need a business admin to manage his
budding water company. I was extra joyful during service ‘cos that is my field.
I walked up to the head pastor and told him how I’ve been jobless since the
beginning of the year and my experiences as a business admin.
I was sincerely expecting him to see me as the answer to his
prayers but instead told me to kneel down for prayers. After the prayers, I
kept walking away slowly, all the while looking back. Nothing. Giving is every
individual’s prerogative but we can’t always deny that as Christians we know
that it is better to give than to receive (and sometimes to pray). Even though
prayer is the key, a lot of people still die at the door.
Not because they don’t have the key but they don’t have the
strength to turn the key and even walk through the door. Don’t pray like the
Pharisees; save it for needs that can’t be met immediately. If you can meet
someone’s needs, don’t pray for him. Meet his needs and let him go. If you sincerely
can’t, pray he finds someone who can.
If everyone resorted to just praying for the victims of the
floods around the world, without rendering immediate help, then what exactly is
the essence of the prayer. Don’t remind me about Joel Osteen (I’m not going to
point fingers).
Just have it at the back of your mind whenever I ask you for
help, and it’s within your capacity, then help me. Don’t pray for me.
Shalom.
Mature Minds Talk
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