"I am in a medical crisis and I need prayer"
"Yes, dear friend, I will pray without ceasing."
Are you that kind of a friend? Are you that kind of a Christian?
How easy it is to speak our Christian language and let the words drip off our tongue...."I will pray for you". As the words escape our mouths, the intent, also, escapes our consciousness. We never,in fact, get around to praying for that person or the situation. As easily as the words are spoken, the situation is forgotten.
I recently found myself in a medical trial. On my to ER I examined my "short list" in my head, my 911 friends. Sometimes, in a crisis, we can not formulate our words so that they reach the throne, in an eloquent, coherent manner- Romans 8:26 says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.'
I found myself in a situation that is not familiar to me....I was without words. I was afraid, I was hooked up to a lot of drugs, I could not formulate my thoughts or my prayers.
I needed my 911 friends.
As much as I sought the aid of the Dr's to alleviate my symptoms, I sought the aid of my 911 friends to alleviate my symptoms.
What constitutes a 911 friend? For me, they are :
*Dependable
*Intentional
*Authentic
*They will pray, without ceasing, until they are released from the problem, or the problem is released from the person.
*They check in and alter prayer requests as the situation develops and changes.
*They offer sacrificial prayer: irregardless of time, space or situation.
*When they say, "I am praying", you know it to be true and there is great comfort.
I am thankful that I have a handful of 911 friends. I pray that through this experience, I am forever altered, to become more of a 911 friend. I pray that I am never so big, so important, so self absorbed...that I forget what really matters. We are the body of Christ, if one of our members have fallen, the body falters. To reach down, to slow down, to reach out- so that we can reach up on anothers behalf. To see, feel and understand the plight of others. To expand from a 911 friend to a 911 Christian...that sees the world through the eyes of prayer and the endless need for more love.
To my 911 friends, you know who you are,....I am eternally grateful. Thank you!
