My friend and I sat across from each other at a new sushi dive in Sioux Falls, S.D. We have been friends since high school and always encouragers of each other’s faith. As we enjoyed each bite of our meal, we shared wonderful convictions about tithing, God’s love and simply, what was new. After the sushi disappeared and the fortune cookies were read, we nodded at each other ready to leave.
Awkwardly, an older couple stopped in front of our table. The woman, confident but slightly skeptical, looked at us briefly. She looked at her husband and then back at my confused friend and me.
“We just really feel called to pray for the two of you … is that alright?” she asked.
My friend and I left no room for hesitation and immediately asked them to take a seat. They placed their hands on us as we all bowed our heads and opened our hearts. The couple tag-teamed a prayer for us for the next couple of minutes. Tears welled in my eyes as each request they brought to the Father hit a heart string. They prayed for our uncertain futures and that we would follow God’s great design and plan for our lives. They prayed that we would realize the power and authority we have in Christ to do the things we know we need to — to worry less about open doors, but instead to just walk into the house; to follow our hears and go ahead with what we feel called to do. They were the cries of our own hearts spoken by the mouths of strangers.
When the prayer was over, we chatted briefly about how they had seen us, overheard a part of our conversation, prayed and felt called to pray over us. The Canadian couple asked God’s blessing over us and left, leaving my friend and me in awe and wonder.
God had shown himself in such an intimate way, and we were speechless. Our minds reeled as we pondered over each part of the prayer and how perfectly it matched with what we had been discussing and thinking. It was God’s response to our questions of giving and serving — a divine “go, do, serve, give” if I’d ever heard one.
My friend and I got served up more than just an Angry Dragon roll that night. We were shown how beautiful prayer is and how our God is truly listening and caring. The words of Matthew 18:20 exploded in my mind, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
This couple bravely approached a table of strangers and prayed with confidence, whereas I know there are times I can feel timid about praying with someone I know. This event proved to me that if we go before God with open and humble hearts, we have nothing to fear.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26).
I was reminded how powerful prayer can be and how I can be that prayer partner for more people in my life or even people passing through my life. We need to be careful not to limit the prayers we pray, the people we pray with or the blessings we believe prayer can bring about.
