By Ashlie Miller
What do you do when you think of someone you haven’t seen in quite some time? Do you reach out to them and let them know? Do you stop and pray for them? Thankfully, a friend who thought of me out of the blue stopped and prayed for me last week and then texted me to let me know. Though a good friend, she lives many hours away. We usually see each other at funerals these days, and we only text occasionally, yet she was thinking of me.
The text read, “Thinking about you and praying for you.” She reminded me that the Lord knows my requests and hears me. Nothing on social media would have alerted her; I am private about my personal needs. We have not been in contact about ongoing struggles or prayer needs. How, then, could she have known? I believe it is because we share someone extraordinary – the Holy Spirit, who ministers to us as we pray and read God’s Word.
In the Kingdom of God, this is a common occurrence. Many Christians from all walks of life pray fervently – moms, dads, grandmas, singles, teens, and professionals. You may feel alone and think no one notices or considers you, but remember, you can be a part of a community of believers. The love that overflows from their relationship with God will cause them to notice others, pray for them, and perhaps help them, if possible.
Sunday morning, on my walk, my playlist reminded me of the song “Someone Is Praying For You”:
When it seems that you’ve prayed ’til your strength is all gone
And your tears fall like raindrops all the day long
He cares and He knows just how much you can bear
He’ll speak your name to someone in prayer
Romans 8:26-27 reminds us:
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Wow, the Spirit intercedes – prays – on behalf of the believers in Jesus!
As the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf, and as other believers are faithful to pray and read their Bibles, it is clear that the Holy Spirit can breathe the names of others who are struggling to fellow believers. But it’s not enough to just know this, we must act on it. When we trust that those random names were put on our hearts for a purpose, we can reach out, encourage, and even sometimes be tangible help to those in need. This is our responsibility as Christians, and it’s a privilege. Sometimes, the answer to someone’s prayer is us!
Ashlie Miller is a pastor’s wife and serves at Mission Bible Church in Charlotte. She and her husband, Chad, are parents to 5 children.
