Oh, the hypnotic power of country-Karaoke!... Now every time somebody says, "I'll pray for you," I hear theLog In in my head:But that's not my prayer for anybody (except ... you KNOW who you are ). No, my prayer for any specific person--whether they know I'm praying for them or not--is that they see 'how their hoped-for needs have ALREADY been met.' (I.e. that they have the faith they need) What I mean by that, is that I pray they're not afraid to take action---which is the truth of faith. Rock-musicians have faith that their fans won't let them hit the ground when they fall off-stage, but they don't "truly" have that faith until they really do crowd-surf ... Simon Peter had faith that he could walk to Lord Jesus on the water, but didn't use that faith until he started walking! Which is why you tell someone 'you will pray for them'---particularly if they tell you about a problem they're dealing with, so they'll be surer to make the right choices when the choices present themselves. What do you pray when you 'pray for someone'?
Break-up songs are really the worst, heh. I've grown up in a household with Christian values and I often was encouraged to pray for others. Usually, I found myself praying for a friends general well being. I was really only being vague, but I do have an interest in my friends and relatives health. I now show this interest proactively, by getting involved and showing that I care. A friend may only need a few kind words to get him out of a slump and I feel that this works well with me.
That's the best way. God 'hears' the prayers of one who puts his actions behind them. "Faith" isn't True until you 'jump out of the boat and walk to Jesus.' (I didn't know that was a "break-up song," but ... yeah, it works as one )
