Facebook and The Mystery of Prayer

Waiting for the Stones on tour. It's going to be a blast!

Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and smart phones connect us with the world and allow us to know what's happening and to inform others of the things happening in our lives as well. It can be both a blessing and a curse. It can give a false sense of community or it can truly be a method of communicating to your friends of things that they would want to know about and to take action on. I've had a deep attraction to technology since I was in high school, thanks to my dad, and have had struggles with spending too much time online. Here's a 2009 article from CNN on the 12 most annoying types of Facebookers.

Facebook has been a great way of helping me to reconnect with old friends, former students and keep in touch with family spread far and wide. It definitely does not replace nor should it replace the intimate, one-on-one, face-to-face communication of being in person with someone. This past week I witnessed how Facebook benefitted me and how God used this form of communication to bring Him glory.

Here are screenshots of my postings:

I thought I was tired from the weekend activities I was involved in. Boy, was I wrong!

At the hospital, I was making light of my situation. I was in more pain than I've ever been in my life. The worst part was the nausea. St. Agnes does have very nice barf bags though!

I spent all day Tuesday in bed sleeping to avoid the pain and the nausea. Even though I was on medication, I was not well.

I had a BAD Tuesday night. I spent most of Wednesday sleeping except for a quick trip for a CT scan.

While I was sleeping, Wendi made the arrangements and posted this Wednesday afternoon.

My mother-in-law posted this on her FB page asking for prayer. Notice that I didn't ask for any prayer up until this time. I think Wendi may have, but not me.

45 minutes after she posted her status update, over 25 people had responded to her request and were praying. I was truly overwhelmed by the prayer support. I think I also had my last bout with nausea and then slept that night, an almost normal night.

This post says it all. I was feeling pretty good all day Thursday and was in a mood that Wendi described as zen-like. I don't know what she meant - I think I was pretty calm and at peace, but excited that the pain might soon be over.

I got called in early. I'm excited and obviously making light of the situation. I could sense God's presence and knew that things would be fine.

Over at last, the stone was lodged in my right ureter and would not have passed on it's own. The surgery was successful - much different than the previous procedure that I had in September for the left kidney. In that situation, the stone was much larger but had not moved yet, so I was never in any pain. They say that kidney stones are as bad as labor. I don't know if that's true, but at least with labor, the end result is a beautiful, new life and a new found love and wonder for your child.

As a result of this experience, I see the value in using Facebook to get the word out to pray for people. A verse comes to mind - James 4:2b "You do not have, because you do not ask." Now this is taken a bit out of context, but speaks of me. I haven't always prayed because either I'm afraid that I won't get the answer I want or I don't pray because why should I pray to God who already knows what I need before I've even asked.

Søren Kierkegaard once said that 'the function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays." I have found this to be true. In praying, my attitude or mind is changed and I become aware of my dependence on God more than on my own limited resources. 

Oswald Chambers said, "Is the Son of God praying in me, or am I dictating to Him?...Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God. If the Son of God is formed in us by regeneration, He will press forward in front of our common sense and change our attitude to the things about which we pray." I think that I don't know enough about prayer, but I'm learning. Jesus constantly prayed to God the Father and He was God Himself. So if Jesus prayed and also taught us to pray via the Lord's prayer, we should be praying as well. It just amazes me that I could have communion with the Creator of the universe and that my prayers (or the prayers of others) somehow come into play with His purposes. 

Ah, the mystery of being a Son of the Most High. This too will be one of those realities that will be fully realized in eternity.