Pray Now!

Have you ever been with a friend, in person or over the phone and they said, "please pray for me." I have...and on many occasions. As they come to mind again I do pray, but how much better would it have been if I had prayer for them right then and there.

That is what I've learned from a dear friend name Darlene. I used to belong to a particular homeschool co-op near our town and there were many families in attendance. Somehow Darlene and I hit it off. When we would see each passing in the hallways and time permitted, we would strike up a conversation, which always indelibly would call for one or both of us to say, "please pray for me" or "please keep that in prayer." And with that, I would file that prayer request in my mind and then when I was in my quiet time, I would go through my prayer request mind's file catalog and try to recall exactly what and who it was I was suppose to pray for. However, there have been times when the mentioned prayer need got lost somewhere between the request and me finally getting around to it. That's where the problem comes in. If I had just prayed for this dear one right then, I could have "reiterated" the prayer request later when it came to mind instead of trying to conger it up, especially if I had not written it down.

Darlene ALWAYS made it a point to pray for me where ever we were. It didn't matter the location, noise level, or traffic jam in the hallway. I remember being self-conscious about others peering in on us in the middle of the aisle way at times, but I guess Darlene figured that this was a Christian environment, so people should be used to seeing prayer happening often and without apology. And that's exactly how it was. Whenever the need arose, Darlene made it her business to offer up a request to God right then, right there...no delay.

I can do nothing but appreciate Darlene's sweet audacity. It was as though there was no one present but her and I. She was on a mission to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16. Nothing and no one mattered but the task at hand; petitioning our kind, gracious Heavenly Father who is ever present to hear our cries.

I cannot honestly say that I am as amazing and prompt as Darlene is in halting in the moment and sending up a prayer into the Heavens no matter the place or hour, but I am getting better at holy boldness.