What a Privilege

KJV 1 Sam 12:23:
   “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way”

As I was sitting enjoying a cup of hot apple cider out on the deck the other morning my mind was captured by the thoughts of the misery I knew someone was going through. In those few minutes of wondering I was moved to praying for that single heart the Lord had laid upon my soul. I thought of what a privilege it was as children of God to not be limited to only “thinking” about a dear one, but how we as believers could pray for them. In my reasoning I realized that being concerned for someone is kind, sincere, caring and a proof of our awareness and concern for their wellbeing….but thoughts do nothing for them…they may never even know you were thinking of them unless u follow the thought up with some rescue or act of compassion. That thought may go the way of many thoughts and eventually it will drift away or be forced out of your thoughts by the more demanding routines of life. Or it may just plain be eclipsed by some other great wondering, or the thought runs its course and fades away in the great abyss of the mind. Maybe a more urgent distraction will replace it or some other “something” will usurp it.
  BUT when we pray; that wonderful privilege permitted us by God, we can do more than merely think of a person and their problems, instead, we can HELP them when we lift them up to the LORD in prayer. May it be so set in our heart to pray for others, that we can say as Samuel said, “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you”…..because Samuel knew when he prayed for the people of Israel, God would work on his behalf for them….. and that is the same assurance we have when we pray for others…..