WIll you pray for me?

"HOT DONUTS NOW" lights up at a Krispy Kreme when fresh donuts are ready.  "ON AIR" lights up in a radio broadcast booth when the mics are hot and the show is on.  "OCCUPIED" shows on the placard of the airplane restroom door when it is in fact occupied.  All of these "signs" are used to let other people know what is happening "Inside" a place.  It let's others know that if you enter here, you should "know this", "Expect this", or "Behave like this", or "Wait your turn", etc.  These things came to mind tonight while I was reading Exodus 33.

Exodus 33;8-11

8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses.10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.   

How cool is that!  Moses would enter the tent and the pillar of cloud would descend and the LORD and Moses would speak face to face.  That is the kind of prayer life that I am talking about.  The kind of prayer life where we enter in and talk face to face with the LORD.  The kind of prayer life that people will know that if they ask you "Will you pray for me" that you will do it.  Not lip service, or because they are incapable of doing it themselves, but because they know that you will go before God on their behalf and pray for them.  When Moses was in the tent, the people saw the sign, just like the "HOT DONUTS NOW", "ON THE AIR" signs.  The sign said "TALKING TO GOD FACE TO FACE IN HERE!" That is a powerful testimony of who Moses was.  Who do you want praying for you?  Don't you want the guy who just walked in the tent, the pillar of cloud came down, and the "TALKING TO GOD FACE TO FACE IN HERE!" sign lit up?

I am not talking about putting on a show, seeking attention from other people, or anything of the sort.  What I will say is that whatever you make a priority in your life is what people will know you for.  If you know every sports score and all the players, people will label you as a "sports guy/girl".  If you are really good at music, people will label you as a "musician".  If we get really good at prayer, people might label us "religious", "Jesus Freak", or many other names.  When someone needs an answer to a sports question, they call the sports guy/girl.  When someone needs someone to play some music at a special event, they call the musician.  When they are struggling and have no where else to turn, they turn to the "religious", "Jesus Freak", or whatever else they may be called because that is what they are known for.  They will say to you "Will you pray for me? "  It is times like this that we are called to Love like Jesus. We get to help them do what they feel they can't do themselves, we get to Talk to God Face to Face on their behalf, and maybe, just maybe, tell them about the love of Jesus and share the Gospel message.  We get to serve that person and minister to them just where they are and demonstrate the love of Christ and in that there is no greater purpose.

Please understand that I'm not talking about a  "look at me, I go to church and pray" type of attitude.  I'm talking about a kind, gentle, humble existence that people will just know because of the time you spend praying with God.  It's like spending all day BBQ'ing, you can smell it on your clothes for hours after you've been around it.  Others, especially in their time of need, will pick up on it.