You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12–13 HCSB

Some time ago, I was reading through the comments section of a blog I follow. The person commenting noted that whenever someone told her of an issue they were facing or an issue in general, she would tell them she would pray for them. But then, something changed, and she started either offering to pray for them right then if she thought they were receptive, or she would quietly do it, still in the moment, if she wasn’t sure. It didn’t need to be a long, elaborate prayer.

Praying in the Moment

I’m learning that God doesn’t need long, elaborate, or flowery prayers. He just needs a sincere heart. I’ve recently adopted that praying in the moment philosophy. For a very long time, if someone suggested/requested I pray for something, and I tried to wait until bedtime, when I usually said my prayers, my tendency was to forget. I am human, and I have a gazillion other things on my mind. So now when someone asks me to pray, I make sure to do it right away. Or, if I hear of a need in conversation, and there is an opportunity to pray with the person, I do. It not only offers comfort to the person I’m praying with, but it humbles me.

I once had an Instagram follow request from someone I didn’t know. The young lady had…