Internet Intercession: Praying Online

"Lord, Help My Friend" (Save and Send)

Now that the world is at our fingertips, via the internet, a host of holy ones are no longer folding their hands to pray. Instead, folks are tapping their computer keyboards, as they pray for one another.

From Pretoria to Peoria, from Tokyo to Tel Aviv, and from San Francisco to San Juan, the faithful are praying in print and sending their missives to one another.

Why do we pray by e-mail?

Of course, we all know God doesn't need e-mail to hear our prayers! But we sure do!

I have faithful friends all over the world. Some are working overseas, while others are in academic programs. Several are missionaries, serving in various countries around the globe. We keep in touch by e-mail. They usually ask me to intercede, or pray for them.

Many friends will write notes to me, asking for prayer about a specific concern. This is so helpful! But how often do I promise to pray for someone's need, and then forget to follow-through?

That's why e-mail intercession is so helpful.

If I receive a prayer request from a far-away friend, then I like to type my response as a prayer. This keeps me accountable, even as it encourages my long-distance brethren.

In addition, the action of typing out a prayer requires a fair amount of concentration, focus, and empathy. Instead of merely uttering, "God, bless so-and-so," we can actually work through what we are asking the Lord to answer. This forces us to pray specifically, and specific answers can be recognized, when they occur!

Here's an example:

Suppose Robin asks me to pray for her next-door neighbor, Bruce, who has just learned that he has cancer. Reading Robin's e-mail, I might respond like this:

Dear Lord: