Last Sunday we had a little experiment in supporting one another. I asked everyone to write down and offer prayers, not the usual prayers of intercession and thanksgiving, but sheep prayers. We were struggling with the Biblical obsession with sheep, and specifically the uncomfortable reality that we are described by Jesus as his sheep, responding to his voice and direction. We were going to offer a prayer request, and in turn take some one else’s request home so that we could pray for one another. So what happened to our sheep prayers?
Since not all sheep are good at following directions, I ended up with a small stack of prayers–not everyone remembered that last task of taking a prayer request home. So, managing a number of sheep prayers, I thought I would share some insights to see what we might learn from one another’s sheep prayers.
Since we don’t have a time machine, we have to make do with things like wisdom, patience, and courage.
As I consider the prayers before me, I notice that we share one issue: We don’t know what the future holds. Obviously this is not a sheep issue, it’s a life issue. If we could travel back and forth in time it would be easy to know what decision to make. Worries vanish if you know everything turns out ok in a year or so. But, alas, Jesus does not give us a time machine. He doesn’t even promise that he will take us on the easy path. He only gives us the promise that in following him we will not be alone. So there are lots of reasons to be concerned about the future. Since we don’t have a time machine, we have to make do with things like wisdom, patience, and courage. We have lots of prayers for those because they help. We may be sheep, but it matters how we live out that identity.
Following Jesus is how we grow in our identity as his people. By choosing his way, we become like him. With practice, the Christ-like choice becomes our default choice. We can be more generous, less self-centered, braver and forgiving. Christ-like choices change us, and in turn change the world. In our sheep prayers, we affirmed the choice of faith, that we know there is a better way, and we’re trying to follow.
So how did it go this week? Did you know that you were supported by others in your walk in faith this week? Did you remember to support the other sheep, especially the one prayer request you had?