She offered to pray for me...

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A few Sundays ago I was invited to attend a local church that my God son's mother attended. She had been trying to for the longest to get me to go with her and I had been avoiding going for a long time. It wasn't that I hated going to church I just didn't want to go to her church. I had been to this local church already for a Christmas concert and it was nice but still this wasn't a church that I was interested in but I visited anyway on a Sunday. Let me also point out that when I had visited this church around Christmas for there Christmas concert they gave visitors a card to fill out and turn in which I did. When I did, I didn't get text or phone call or email from anyone back then. This time when I visited for the second time and filled out the card again, this time I received a text message from...Ler's call her Whitney.

Today was Whitney's second time texting me. The first time Whitney texted me was to introduce herself to me. Whitney is not someone who I have met in person or have had a conversation with. When she texted me today she asked me if there was anything in particular that she could could pray for me on my behalf and I told her no thanks anyway.

I get that asking to pray for someone is the Christian thing to do but it made me so uncomfortable. One reason why It made me uncomfortable is because Whitney is not someone who I have met or have bonded with or have broken bread with. I personally felt like how can I just reveal personal information to someone who doesn't know me but wants to pray for me?  Is this my own insecurity?

I'm not sure if maybe it's because I've become extremely guarded this year when it comes to who I let in on my vulnerabilities and issues. It makes me wonder just how sad is it that I didn't feel safe and secure enough to let someone in and pray for me? I can't even chalk it up to "Church hurt". I think for me it's been more along the lines of " People Hurt" ( Getting hurt by people I've let in. I wish I had a better term for this as well). I personally feel as though prayer is such an intimate thing to do so If someone is going to pray for me about anything specific I would prefer it to be someone has invested their time and effort in me.

If I could give Whitney or any other individual in leadership at a church advice when it comes to praying for a specific individual (who you may not know) it would be this: Get to know them first. Connect with them because to randomly ask someone if there's anything specific that you could pray for them what you're really asking them do is to open up and be vulnerable.

Anyway, if there's anything I've learned in this situation is the fact that I need to stop feeling so "People hurt" and get well soon.








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