Pray

Pray What You See

By Lorrie Orr
Published by Discipleship Journal, May/June 1996

The furloughing missionary carried a banana to the front of the church. Holding the banana high, she asked the congregation to pray for her family in Ecuador whenever they saw this familiar fruit.

Paul's exhortation to "pray without ceasing" can puzzle the young Christian you're discipling. Visual aids like the misionary's banana can bring vitality to his prayer life (and yours). Ordinary objects can stimulate our memories and act as visual cues to pray. The trick is to identify these objects and then use them. Start with one or two, then build from there. Here are some ideas to get you and your disciple started.

Hospital. Pray for those suffering physical and emotional pain. Ask God to provide compassionate care and to use the witness of Christian doctors and nurses.
School Zones. Intercede for educators and curriculum writers. Pray for protection of the minds of our children.
Flag. Whenever you see your country's flag, pray for political leaders. Ask God to bring spiritual revival to your nation.
Food. Tropical fruit, ethnic foods, etc. can bring to mind specific countries or peoples of the world. Pray for those being persecuted for their faith, for those barred from free access to the gospel because of government restrictions, or for missionaries you know in that country.
Laundry. Pray for the person whose clothes you are folding or ironing.
Headline. Rather than sighing over the sad state of the world, pray for those in authority. When reading a crime story, intercede for the victims and their families - they need the Lord's comfort.

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