If you’re in my circle of tweets, you likely got to be a part of the birth of Chris from Canada’s newest little girl. Around lunchtime Chris sent out a tweet saying, “Ok twitter time to pray. This baby doesn’t want to come out and this family doesn’t want a C-section. We need some movement!”
Many of us responded that we were praying, and I myself took some moments here in my office to stop what I was doing and concentrate on praying for this need. A few minutes later, we received this tweet that said, “I don’t know who said the magic word but doctors think we are on the right track!” Then a little while later, this one, “Time to go dark. Baby is on her way. Get ready to celebrate!”
Around an hour later, here’s what we all got to be a part of: “She’s here! Baby girl born at 2:08. 7 lbs 4 oz. She’s perfect and mom is doing great too. Thanks for all your msgs and prayers!” What a really cool experience to be a part of, not just the blessing of a new life, but to actually have a part in the process via prayer to the Father.
Now, this is not a promotion for you to get on Twitter (though you should), but really just a reminder to myself and anyone who is reading about how prayer should be practiced. Notice that I said before that “many of us responded that we were praying.” None of us said, “I’ll pray for you,” but “I’m praying for you.”
The prayers lifted up today for Chris’ family were present and active, not passive whenever I can get around to it prayers. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t spend pointed time in prayer apart from the distractions of the world, but I really do think the majority of our prayer time should something like the interaction on Twitter. Twitter users blurt out whatever is going on in their lives, whatever they’re doing/thinking/saying/praying/hoping.
Our relationship through prayer with God really should look a great deal like it does for people who are “connected” via the internet. We should be sending up little thoughts and prayers all through the day like on Twitter; we should be sending longer, more thoughtful messages like we do via email/snail mail; we should be asking God what’s going on—what’s important to Him—like we do on Facebook (and be reading His “wall” we call the Bible); and we should spend face to face time with Him like even virtually connected people do when they make opportunities.
Don’t you think God would rather be involved in our lives all through the day, and not just in chunks of time here and there?
