We are all needy people. Yes, even the ones who are in church every Sunday. Some of our needs are visible to others. But some people's needs are emotional or spiritual. No one is exempt from having things in their lives they can't quite get a handle on.
People need the Lord. They might need His comfort. Sometimes they need His direction. They might need God's wisdom. Others might need His guidance. We all need His love.
Sometimes, I awaken in the morning and all I that comes to my mind is the needs of people. God placed this thought on me this morning. A lot of the needs we hear about or know about we can't do anything for except pray and listen.
Several years ago, I read a couple of books written by a pastor's wife in Indianapolis. She and her husband were having a difficult time with a teenage child. Her husband decided to share their story with a people in a small group setting. The reaction from that group was "You're a preacher; you shouldn't have any problems." My heart broke for this couple. God was
not honored by that response. The group missed a chance to minister to this pastor and his wife.
I want to challenge people to do the following. Whenever you are out shopping, going out to eat, picking up dry cleaning, buying groceries, ask God if the person who waits on you or passed you by has any needs. And the listen to what He tells you.
People used to apologize to my husband and me when he was fighting cancer. If they lived far away and couldn't do something practical to help, they'd say, "I can only pray."
ReplyDeleteWe wrote back and thanked them profusely. "Thank you. That's the most important thing you can do for us."
We never know how our prayers will impact someone's life. I think a lot of us will be surprised when we get to heaven and hear all the stories of answered prayer.
Blessings,
Susan