The Hugging Prayer

Maybe this is a little too personal but here goes. When we lift people up in prayer there is a critical step, perhaps even "a need," that seldom gets talked about. Yet it happens more often than we even know. I call it The Hugging Prayer.

To understand this prayer we must first understand a little bit about God.

"For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." - 1 Corinthians 2:11

"You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar." - Psalm 139:2

God knows our thoughts before we even verbalize them! He knows our prayers before we even utter them. Keep that in mind, always.

Now to The Hugging Prayer. . . .

When we first learn of someone in need of prayer we are often with them. Sometimes not, but we are often in the presence of the personal actually in need of our prayers. Look at the steps involved in the prayer process.

1. Someone tells us of their need for prayer. Maybe it's an illness or an employment situation. It is usually some kind of personal struggle they are going though.
2. Our hearts become saddened upon the hearing of the news from this person.
3. We tell that person that we will pray for them.
4. We actually pray for them, if we remember.

Try introducing another step in this process. Let's call it Step 2A - The Hugging Prayer.

When we hear someone requesting prayer, don't tell them "I'll pray for you." PRAY FOR THEM, right then, right there! They're not asking if you will pray for them later in the day.

God knows our thoughts. I believe we actually begin praying for a person while they are telling us their prayer request, even though we are not actually praying in the traditional way. God knows our thoughts. He knows our heart. Remember?

Have you ever prayed for someone as you hugged them? Without knowing it, yes you have. Our hearts ache for them. God knows the compassion in our hearts. He knows our thoughts. AND our prayers.

For a close friend or loved one, upon hearing their sad news or request for prayer, we will often give them a hug. What better way to deliver a hug than when accompanied by prayer.

OR, we could make our prayers caring and meaningful enough to hug people WITH your prayers. LOVE deeply, PRAY deeply. We should be praying for people AS we are with them. When the bad news is fresh in our minds and in our hearts. "Pray! Hug!" or "Hug! Pray!" Multitask! Do both at the same time!

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." - Romans 8:26

An undelivered hug doesn't do anyone any good. The same for undelivered prayer. Hug and pray. We need to show our compassion for others and submit our prayers to God as we do so.