Pray and do things too

Prayer is a powerful thing if you are a believer.  It is not just something we should be doing it is something we are told to do in obedience.  (1 Thesselonians 5:17-18, Ephesians: 6:18 come to mind.)  We pray for many reasons, not the least of which is that all good relationships involve good communication.  If we are not praying then we are also not listening, nor are we expecting from the Lord.  (Both of which are another blog posts I’ll probably write later.)  So, prayer is indeed a powerful and needed thing in the life of every person who would call themselves a believer. 

That said, I believe it is also important that we become the answer to prayers when we can.  Pray AND do a thing.  We are (supposed to be) saints in training and if we have (can) learn anything from the lives of those who have gone before us it is that prayer and action almost always go hand in hand.  Our Lord will always answer our prayers in one way or another, but since he also commanded that we “Love each other as I have loved you.”  AND “Do unto others as you would have done for you.”  I believe He is also calling us to action.  Pray obediently, yes, but reach out a hand if you can.

You cannot cure cancer, but you can pray for the sick AND visit them, their family, give comfort for their caregiver.  You can pray for the lonely, AND actually visit/be with those who have no one.  You can pray for the hungry AND feed someone who is hungry.  You can pray someone gets the information they need AND teach or connect someone who can teach them.  You can pray for the homeless AND give someone in need a home. Fill in the blank with the possibility, because they are endless.   If you need ideas, it’s easy to get some and here is how:  Think about what you might want if you were walking in their shoes and then do that.  If you aren’t totally sure it would be appropriate, then ask someone with greater knowledge than you AND pray for guidance. 

This isn’t just a ‘cute suggestion’ or ‘nice idea’ I have about how life should be.  The Messiah himself said in Matthew 25: 31-46. ³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Pray and be the answer to someone’s prayers today.

Here I am, Lord, Send me!

 Lisa Lee Brandel, Kolbe Evangelization Commission Chair