PRAYING FOR OTHERS

A hospital chaplain visited a delightful old lady in the hospital. As he approached her bed, he noticed that with the index finger of one hand she was touching, one by one, the fingers of the other, with her eyes closed.  When the chaplain spoke to her she opened her eyes and said, "Oh, chaplain, I was just saying my prayers - the prayers my grandmother taught me many years ago."

The chaplain looked puzzled, so she went on to explain, "I hold my hand like this, my thumb towards me. That reminds me to pray for those nearest to me. Then, there is my pointing finger, so I pray for those who point the way to others - teachers, leaders, parents.  The next finger is the biggest so I pray for those in high places. After that comes the weakest finger - look it won't stand up by itself - so I pray for the sick and the lonely and the afraid. And this little one - well, last of all I pray for myself."

What a great lesson!  It is so easy to make our prayers about us - "Help me...  deliver me...  give me...  show me...  I need...   I want..."  when our prayers should be for and about others.    

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."  Ephesians 6:18

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Philippians 2:3