What is a God Conversation? Someone used the phrase recently, and explained that in their usage it was not talking to God, but talking about God, sharing our faith with other people.

Praying for other people is easy: telling them about it can be harder in this secular age. I come from an extended family who always prayed for each other, and were delighted to tell you so: at a family party an auntie would grab your arm and say ‘I’m praying for you’ with a meaningful look – it wasn’t always clear if this was for exams, or a better boyfriend, or you just looked terrible, or perhaps you hadn’t been seen in church enough.

And of course there were candles being lit in church: a key element of Catholic life where I grew up. The candle, ‘an intention’, represents a request to God, and is accompanied by prayers.  My very secular friends were fascinated by all this, and however little faith they had, they would ask me ‘can you get your Mum to light a candle for me?’ – her candles were famously effective. Sometimes I would say ‘I could light a candle?’ but the response was a doubtful ‘OK, but Mum too please.’

Now my mother is too old to do candles herself so it is my job. And a few years ago I decided I had to be braver about telling people I was going to pray for them – friends from outside the church, casual acquaintances, and chance-met strangers. (Of course I pray for friends inside the church too, but telling them would not be difficult…)

The first few times were honestly terrifying: I swallowed hard, and thought ‘this is going to be so horrible if they say I FORBID YOU TO PRAY FOR ME!’ But – no-one has ever said that. I have never even had a neutral response, let alone a negative one. People who would swear blind they were atheists say ‘that would be wonderful, thank you.’ Strangers have told me that it has given them hope and cheered them up. If it seems right, I will say ‘I am in a church group, and we will all pray for you, and we will hold you in our hearts and in our prayers.’ People will say ‘that is the nicest thing I can imagine’. A woman who feared for the life of her child said ‘you are giving me strength’.

Paul in his letter to the Romans (ch 12) has relevant advice: “be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer… Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” 

What a great description of how to live your life.

Praying for others is quite a responsibility, looked at in one way, but I am not complaining: it is something I can do. It can be very hard to know what to say to someone who has shared bad news with you: but saying ‘I will pray for you’ is the best response, and in my experience always welcome.

 

Moira Redmond