Friday, April 27, 2012

But also do.

It’s really easy to say and say a lot. That one phrase that pops up when you don’t know what else to say and the conversation gets real.

“I’ll be praying for you.”

And we pray for them. And then that’s all.

Someone tells us you about a rough patch in their life and sometimes that’s the default response… prayer. And it absolutely should be. I’m not questioning the need for or effectiveness of prayer. We should bring our issues and the issues of others before God and ask Him to act. But then what?

I think that so often, we can pray for God to do something all day long and still be entirely oblivious to the fact that we might be the way he wants to do it.

“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking daily food, and you say to them ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things the need for the body, what good is that?” 
James 2:15-16

What good is it if we pray for God to do the very thing that we are capable of doing but still don’t do? 

…If we pray that God would provide for someone struggling financially, but don’t help them ourselves? If we pray that God would free someone from loneliness and depression, but don’t take the time to befriend and encourage them? If we pray that God would show His love to someone, but we never love them? What good is that?

Pray, yes. But also do.

xo,

Jess

3 comments:

Laura Hernandez said...

I think I'm guilty of this. More that I want to admit. I try, but maybe sometimes not enough. Great post Jess. Love you.

Jenny said...

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Modern Modest Beauty

Vika said...

This is so true that first our response when people share a problem with us is "praying for you' but after that we do not take our time to react and get into somebody's need. I hope this will remind us that we all are big family before God and we need to be more attentive if someone chooses you to share their heart with.