That was the first line He said to me.
Can I say a Prayer for
you?
I was in the kitchen
about to make diner for my family when I heard the knock. Not expecting any
package or visitors, I peeked through the kitchen blinds and saw two Caucasian
looking quite comfortable and if not for the fact that one of them saw me, I
truly would have gone back to what I was doing but my eyes locked with the eyes
of one of my January visitors, leaving me no choice.
I open the door and I
smile. Two young men wearing white T-shirts underneath their Black Suits and
having their name on lapel which I could not clearly see apart from
‘CHRIST’, which made me rule out Jehovah witness, so I ask, ‘How can I help
you?’
He stretched his hand
towards me and requests for a hand shake which I politely decline because my
hands have ‘food in progress’ written all over it and I let him know. He smiles
and asks ‘Can I say a prayer for you?
Wow! Boy was I taken
aback. I though they first line would be ‘We are here to share with you the
good news’! With which of course I would have responded ‘I know the good news
and I know Jesus’.
But asking to say a
prayer for me, I said yes of course. The next question just tasted like ‘Apple
Pecan Salad’ in my mouth… He asks ‘What would you want us to pray with you on?’
After few seconds, I say ‘My February event- www.beautyinbusiness.eventbrite.com’
and lo and behold brethren! we prayed!
Why this story?
Because I learnt from it.
Many evangelists/preachers who have come
up to me want to tell me about ‘The/Their Gospel’ and there is nothing wrong
with that but this is my first time of hearing ‘Can I say a prayer for you’ and
I believe this quote sums it all up ‘People don't care how much you know until
they know how much you care” - Theodore Roosevelt
I do not know if I am just emotional or in
the words of my sister in law ‘Why so emosh?’ but asking a complete stranger if
you can say a prayer with/for them is like giving a hug that transcends the
flesh into the soul. It is like saying I am here for you even if the next
second I would be at the next door repeating exactly what I just told you. It
is like lobbying for you in another realm even if I just met you in the
physical lobby. It is like saying ‘despite our differences, I will invest the
next few minutes and put your desire above mine’.
After the prayer, they sure did try to
tell me about the ‘real reason’ they knocked on my door and we sorted all that
out and they departed smiling genuinely.
My question is: When last did you approach
a stranger friend and say ‘I would love to say a prayer with
and for you’? Personally I cannot honestly remember! I know I intercede but
what about the ones who are close by and we see every day, why don’t we think
of agreeing with them concerning a matter?
Before we tell others what we know, what
we believe in and what we think is the only solution to their problem, how
about meeting them where they are (I do not mean physically) but making an
attempt to truly understand what they are about.
There is so much about a person that a
perceived judgment about a part of them and this is what leads to assumptions,
‘I thought she thought’, and then we use a part of their entirety to judge them
entirely.
My rule of thumb is usually ‘Treat others
as you want others to treat you’. If the men at my door started off
by telling me why my life is less of a shine because I am not working in their
gospel, I would not have shut the door on their face, no not at all but my mind
would be out of that conversation.
They asked about what I cared about when
they asked what I wanted them to pray on and to get a stranger reach out to you
like that in this ‘cat eat cat’ world is heartwarming.
So when you are in a situation with someone
and you are trying to connect with them, why not ask them ‘I would love to
agree with you on a matter through prayers’. What do you say? :)
