Day 62- A Motel First

I spent the night in a motel in Birmingham last night.  We have a church member that had surgery this morning and I wanted to be there with him and his family. As I was getting ready to check out of the motel, I remembered that Laura told me that she sometimes leaves a tip and a note for the maid.  So, I left the maid a note and a tip for my "first" today.

I love a motel room

My note for the maid

OK, that's not really the note I left for the maid. That seems a bit harsh.  How about this one?

Hopefully, that's a bit better for a first impression.  It was kind of fun to think about what the maid thought when she found this. Was she surprised?  Was she happy?  Was she touched because there is something in her life that she really wants someone to be praying for her?

As I left the room thinking about that it occurred to me that while the note could be meaningful, I had not actually prayed for her.  I did take time while driving home today to pray for her.  I did ask the Holy Spirit to help me pray for her like He wanted me to pray.  I was convicted by how easy it is to tell someone that you are praying for them and not actually pray for them.  Those words should be meaningful. It's a powerful ministry to pray in the Spirit for someone. It's a lie to say we are praying for someone if we are not. I read where one person wrote that saying we are praying for someone is the biggest lie Christians tell.  Too often it's meant as a nice way of saying that we love them and hope their situation gets better.  If that's what we mean then that's what we need to say.  If we say we are going to pray, then by all means let's pray and pray fervently. Let's pray in a way that God listens and acts in response to our prayers. I find it very helpful when someone asks me to pray for them to stop and pray for them right then.  That way I won't forget to pray and often it is meaningful to pray out loud with someone at that very moment.  The Holy Spirit will sometimes lead you to pray something very specifically that will minister to them in a deep way. Let's watch for opportunities to pray for and with someone real soon.

Praying for the abundant life

Barry

3 things I thank God for today
1. Maids
2. Eugene Copeland
3. A cap that fits well