The Undiscovered Country

Pray for Me

Those three words are some of the toughest for me to utter. I despise asking people to pray for me, no matter how serious or frivolous.

At the end of every Disciple class everyone has an opportunity to ask for prayers for the rest of us to pray during the week. Combining Disciple I and Disciple II, I asked for prayers for myself twice. Both were prayers for safe travel when I went to the writer’s conference. Not “serious” prayers at all. Many times I’ve wanted to, including last Sunday, but I couldn’t even open my mouth.

I figured out two reasons for my reticence (one of my favorite words there).

Selfish: Sometimes I feel selfish asking for prayers. It’s been pounded into my head that others matter more than I do (many churches are horrible at doing this to their congregations, but that’s another subject). How dare I try to take the power of prayer for myself when others need it more?

Looking at it that way, it’s laughable; as if God’s power is finite. Yeah, he keeps Prayer Power in a warehouse in Heaven, parceling out a little here, and a little there. It will empty someday, so I have no right to take some for myself, thereby denying others in greater need.

Why did Jesus use the mustard seed to describe all the faith we need? Not only is it tiny to start, but if nurtured well in fertile soil, it can grow huge. The power of prayer works the same way. The more we use it, the more it grows.

God never said to love others before ourselves, anyway. When asked the greatest commandment Jesus said (paraphrased), “First love God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.” If we do not love ourselves, really, how can we love others? The same goes for forgiveness and even prayer. Just because I pray for myself at times, doesn’t mean I don’t have time to pray for others while I’m at it. The same goes for everyone else. How will they know to pray for me if I don’t ask them?

Vulnerability. My parents brought me up to be self-reliant. I take pride in my accomplishments, because I received little help from others. I got a leg-up in life by lifting my leg. No one did it for me.

To ask for help means admitting I need it, and I can’t always do things on my own.