:: in.a.mirror.dimly ::

A friend once shared the story of praying for his brother to follow Jesus. He’d been praying for years, inviting his brother to his Baptist church from time to time. It weighed deeply on his heart.

One day he prayed a little differently: “Lord, just save my brother, I don’t care which denomination he goes to. Just save him.”

A few months later his brother starting attending a Presbyterian church and became a follower of Jesus.

This is a story that has made an impression on me, reminding me that while we may be praying for God to help someone or save someone, we often attach some strings to our prayers. When my friend finally realized that he only wanted his brother to be saved as a Baptist, he let go of that desire.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence in that case, but I’d like to suggest something here that this story always stirs up in my own heart. When we’re praying for God to move in another person’s life, perhaps God wants to start moving in our own lives first, to change something, and to push us deeper into discipleship, holiness, and service.

Perhaps the change that God works in our own lives will answer what we’ve been praying for. Maybe God wants to change us in order to reach someone else.