When you pray for something or someone, by default, you think about them. When you think about them, you find yourself wondering things. What do they need? What do they want? What scares them? What makes them angry? What do they hope for? It’s then that you begin to see them in a different light. You come to understand their motivations in a new way.
For example, maybe your boss is short with you. Rather than fire back a terse response, try saying a quick prayer: “Lord, bring peace to this person.” When you take a moment to change the dynamic through prayer, your response changes. Empathy opens hearts.
It’s like the old saying, “never judge anyone before you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” Prayer is the fastest way to walk that path.
This message is excerpted from “Pray for the spiders,” by Susan Sparks in the July/August 2018 Gather magazine.
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