Inconvenience Me

Last week I was privileged to attend Ladies Night at my church.  It was a night geared towards connecting, encouraging, and pouring into the women.  Our campus pastor's wife spoke on the topic of asking God to inconvenience us, asking God to open our eyes to opportunities to speak life into others.  

The way she said it, inconvenience me, made me think about something.  How many times have I missed the opportunity to bless someone or to pour into someone because it was out of my way, I didn't have time...it was inconvenient.  I believe that God moves when life gets hard, when it's not easy.  God moves when we sacrifice ourselves, our time for Him, for His time, His purpose.  If we learn to open our eyes to see the favor God has placed in our life we can open our eyes to opportunity.  When we recognize our strengths we can use them for the good of others.  

No, it may not always be convenient.  It may be as we're leaving the office for the day, it may be when you're in a hurry, or as you are walking out of church on your way to lunch.  You never know what situation a person is going through, even if you think you know them.  Your time, your words, your presence could show the love of Christ and change their life forever. 

I pray that the Lord would inconvenience me.  In my job, in my church, in my every day life, inconvenience me Lord.  I want to see the opportunities around me to show favor to others, to be a light into the darkness that is some people's existence.  Use me Lord and help me to recognize those opportunities and to never let them pass me by.   

Pray for You

Have you ever had someone say "I'll pray for you"  and you think to yourself "will you really?"  Prayer is something that should not be taken lightly.  It is our direct communication with God and I often wonder if people really are praying for me when they say they are.  I know that I am also guilty of this and it is something I want to work on.  

On the other hand, there are instances where I know people are genuine in prayer and I know without a shadow of a doubt that they are praying for me when they say they are going to.  Today someone told me they would pray for me and I believe them.  It is so reassuring to know that someone else is lifting you up.  It is too easy to get bogged down in my own prayer life.  I often feel like I pray the same prayers, ask for the same things, but there is something about someone else praying for me that makes me feel loved, cared for, and that they are concerned enough to include me in their prayer life. 

Oftentimes, the sad thing is that the people who are genuine in their prayer offerings are not my close friends, no they are strangers.  They are people in my church who lift me up; they are people in the blogospere (hint, hint that's you potentially); they are people who may never know me.  Why is it that people outside of my own personal life are more apt to pray for me and my struggles than people who know me the best?  

The good thing is that it shouldn't matter who is praying for you.  I am thankful for all of the voices that speak on my behalf, the ones who care enough to lift up my petty concerns and struggles.  I want to be one of those people, who cares enough to pray for a complete stranger who in fact is my brother or sister in Christ.  

How can I pray for you today?  Maybe you are feeling lonely, left out, having relationship issues, or just having a daily struggle.  Maybe you feel like no one else will pray for you in your time of need (I've often felt that way).  So what is it?  Leave a comment and know, I am praying for you and I mean it.