To me, this is one of the best things I can hear from you. If you are a Christian, you understand it. If you’re not, then it doesn’t make sense. This past year I have seen on social media the rudest forms of mockery on thoughts and prayers. Not just one post, but dozens. Cynical people repost the insults readily enough without thinking it through. I can’t make assumptions on the people who post such negativity, but yet, in a way I do. They can’t possibly know how much it means to be in someone’s thoughts. That someone is thinking about you, caring, about you, and willing to reach out and tell you. As a Christian – there is NOTHING finer than being told you are being prayed for. It’s all we can do as a body of Christ for each other. When events happen around the world, all we can do is unite with our prayers. God is always listening. He is always there. He provides comfort, he provides peace.
Why do people mock?
For those who mock thoughts and prayers – have you ever experienced having someone pray for you, and the peace of God? Probably not, or you wouldn’t have made fun of it. You have no idea of the power of prayer. You probably haven’t experienced miracles in your life either, that you know are a direct result of prayer.
I was really disappointed to see on my newsfeed one day a picture that showed the back of a truck, with the back doors open, with the caption saying, “thoughts and prayers.” How sad. How pathetic. Yup, whoever put that together obviously doesn’t know God, or the power of prayer. Just because you don’t know about something, or don’t believe in God, making a mockery of it is wrong, in my books.
Be respectful of prayers
We should all be respectful of each other, and our differences. That means ALL of our differences, including religion. I grew up Baptist, and then changed to a Pentecostal church in my late teens. I’m not Catholic, but I don’t mock their services. I’m not Anglican, but I don’t mock their services. I’m not Mormon, but I don’t mock them either.
No matter what church you attend, or what denomination you claim to be, the bottom line is that we believe in God. We believe he came to earth as a baby, and died on the cross for our sins. We believe that he rose again on the third day. We believe. We also know that God is love, and his greatest commandments to us are found in Matthew 22:27-28:
The greatest commandment in the Bible:
The first and greatest commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. The second commandment is “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
Well, I happen to know that pretty much all of us do not love our neighbours as ourselves. We are quick to judge, quick to point fingers, quick to hate and despise. It’s not Christianity that is failing, its people who profess they are Christians who are failing. If we really understood who God is, we would know his love. And if we loved God, we should be loving others. Accepting others. Forgiving others. Not being judgemental, or holier than thou. It’s sad that there are many people out there who profess to be Christians, but don’t show it by their actions.
Love your Neighbour
You can’t love God, and know his love if you are a bitter, angry unforgiving person. God commands us to love. So, if you love him, and want to obey him, then you need to forgive. If you cannot, then God’s love is not in you at all. Seriously. There are enough self-righteous people out there with their anger and hurt, blaming God and others for all of their problems, when the problem is right inside their own body: hate. Get rid of the hate, and fill it with love instead.
You can’t just pick and choose what rules to follow, or what commands you think are okay for you. God commands us to love him with ALL our heart. Not just part of it. ALL of it. And if you are not willing to do that, then don’t bother with God at all.
Stop blaming God
God does not cause our problems. God does not intentionally hurt us. God does not abuse us. God does not abandon us. He is ALWAYS there, waiting and ready for you to talk with him. He loves you, and watches over you. He hurts when you hurt. He cries when you cry. Your pain is his pain. He feels it all. God will comfort you, and strengthen you, and so will his angels that he commands to watch over you. So – when someone offers their thoughts and prayers that is huge. HUGE! Wow – can you imagine what God can accomplish when hundreds of people are praying? To tell the truth, he can accomplish anything on his own, he doesn’t need us at all, but you can imagine how much his heart will be stirred by the prayers of his children?!
We don’t always get the answers we want, no matter how much we pray. And that is something we just have to accept. God has a plan, and whatever that may be, it’s going to play out. You may pray hard for a sunny day for your wedding, but it rains. You may pray that you get a certain job, but it goes to someone else. Know that God in his wisdom knows just what you need, and you will end up somewhere that will be beneficial to you. We have no idea what’s going to happen in our lives, we can’t see down the road, but God can.
God provides miracles
God has done some pretty amazing miracles in my own life. My stepson was in a very serious car accident and almost died. The doctors told us every day for a week that he wasn’t going to make it. Thousands of people at churches all over the lower mainland prayed for him, and guess what – God allowed him to live. He is now married with four beautiful children. What a blessing!
My mom was diagnosed with stage IV inflammatory cancer on her birthday. We prayed so much for her, and she attended so many different healing workshops. But on October 18, 2013 at age 65 she succumbed to that cancer and went to be with the Lord. A different answer this time.
Does that mean I should be mad at God? NO! Of course not! He orders our steps, and it’s not our place to question or ask God. We can when we get to heaven, but really, if you want to go through life feeling angry and disappointed because you didn’t get the answers you wanted, go right ahead. I’m not choosing that path.
Life is never fair.
Solomon in the bible pointed that out. He mentioned it rains on the good, AND the bad. There is no rhyme nor reason why good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. It doesn’t matter. Stop trying to make sense of it, because you never will. Accept that God is in control, and just give your worries, your heartaches, and your problems to him, and let him carry them for you.
So, please please please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I welcome them, and I offer them to you. If there’s anything I know, it’s that God is listening, and he hears those prayers, and begins to work on it right away. It may be wait, maybe, or no, but he will answer. Remember that.
My take on thoughts and prayers
Thoughts and prayers – it’s what I stand on.
