I'll pray for you... maybe.

How often do you see a status of a friend on Facebook who posts that they're struggling or asking for prayer for a certain request? I see this on my news feed multiple times daily. How many times do you say, "I'll pray for you"? How many times do you actually pray for them?

It's so easy to say the simple phrase, "I'll be praying for you" when you see a friend in need of prayer or who is having a hard time. Sometimes it's the only thing you can think to say. It might be comforting to whomever you say this to, but just saying that you'll pray for them doesn't really do anything for them.

I know how easy it is to forget to do something moments after you say or think about doing it, especially when you have a million and one other things on your mind. I've been there before: I've told someone I would pray for them and then totally forgot about it until the next day... or longer. Obviously that's not a habit I want to have. 

I have challenged myself to follow through with praying for everyone that I say, "I'll pray for you" to. For the past several months, since this idea of forgetting to pray for people who need it has been brought up to me, I've made a point to stop what I'm doing and pray for someone who asked for prayer right then and there. If I see a status on Facebook of someone asking for prayer, I don't just leave a comment that I'll be praying for them, because I know that just saying it doesn't do any good. I say that I'll pray for them, stop scrolling through Facebook, and genuinely lift them up in prayer. Even better, I will pray for them before I even leave a comment and then tell them, "just prayed for you!" Sometimes when someone is in need, knowing someone is already praying for them is more comforting than knowing that someone will pray for them... hopefully. 

I keep a list on my phone of things I've been praying for. When someone has a continuous need, I keep that prayer need in a list on my phone so that I can come back to it and pray over the people and the situation multiple times. (I'm a type A person so I need lists - it can be hard to remember all the people that need prayer!) 

Probably the best thing I can do for someone who asks me for prayer is to pray with them, right where we are. If someone I'm having a face-to-face conversation with is struggling, how awesome would it be to pray with them right where you are, rather than telling them you'll pray for them later, even if you remember to actually pray for them? I can do this even when I'm not in the physical presence of someone. There have been a lot of times where I've typed out a prayer in a text message, Facebook comment or private instant message. It can be so encouraging to actually hear (or read) a prayer rather than just knowing you're being prayed for. It can make a big difference. 

The next time a friend asks for prayer, I encourage you to stop what you're doing and pray for them, rather than just saying you will and hoping you remember. It can be so easy to forget, and I'm sure your friend will appreciate your immediate prayers.