As I walked up to the grocery checkout I noticed the clerk was sitting on a chair waiting to scan items. It seemed a bit different, and so I studied the woman’s face to see if it might tell me more of the story. Behind her glasses, her eyes were squinting slightly and her eyebrows furled down with a concerned look. When I observed these things, I prayed silently in my heart – Lord, reveal to me how I can help her.
After scanning my items she told me the total amount due and I paid for them. Seeing no one was standing behind me in line, and realizing time was on my side, I asked a question, hoping that the Lord would reveal to me the need she had.
I asked her, “Are you getting off work soon?”
She replied, “Unfortunately not; I just started my shift.” She was rubbing her head as she said these words.
Going out on a limb, I asked, “Are you feeling alright today?”
She said, “No, I’ve had this horrible headache today and I’m just hoping I can make it all the way through my shift.”
Then it happened...
That moment when your heart starts beating faster because you know that God is inviting you to partner with Him and bring His kingdom to the checkout line.
I looked back, and seeing that still, no one was coming to her aisle, it was the confirmation I needed to ask the next question…
“Hey, can I take just one minute and pray for your headache to go away?” I asked the question believing that God was already working and expecting that He wants to reveal himself. I didn’t make it awkward or strange, just matter of fact… with the tone that was casual but confident. It had a ring to it that said, "This is just what we do when we encounter pain, we ask God to heal us."
She said, “Sure” and even seemed to put her hands out palms up on the conveyor belt.
So, with a large piece of plexiglass between us, I prayed for her healing and for her to be able to get through the rest of the shift. I probably prayed five sentences, then said, “Amen.”
Still no one in line behind me, another miracle in a busy grocery store.
The woman thanked me for praying, and as I was walking away, I told her, “I really believe that you are going to start feeling better and better.” It was important for me to plant the seed that God can heal over time as much as He can instantly take away pain. I was hoping that sharing this would help her have a healthy expectation that God would move and make things better.
When people receive prayer and things don’t immediately feel better, they often think that the prayer didn’t work. They might conclude that they aren’t good enough for God to help, or that prayer is only wishing and doesn’t have any power. Mentioning that God sometimes heals people over time opens the door for them to enter a place of faith.
Bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth
As I was getting into my car in the parking lot I was praying, asking Jesus to reveal Himself to this woman. I was handing her over to Him to love, heal and help. Then it occurred to me that I will see this woman again another day. The next time I’m in that grocery store, I’ll make sure that I stand in her checkout line, and casually ask her…
“Hey, you had a headache during one of your shifts not long ago, where you were sitting on a stool when you were working. I prayed for you a short prayer for healing… did God take away the pain? Were you able to finish your shift that day?”
That question will either prompt a testimony of how God helped her, or she will say honestly that she still struggled with pain after receiving prayer. Either way that she answers, my response will be the same. I imagine that I will say, “You know God loves you and whether He answers our prayers in the moment or over time, we don’t have to earn His love, He already loves you.”
I want God’s kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven. Praying for people in public can be a stretch for all of us, but the more we are open and willing to meet needs through prayer, the more opportunities God will bring our way.
May God bless you as you open your heart and mind to what God wants to show you to pray for today!
We invite you to come worship with us Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. in the Dome.
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If you missed my message last Sunday, "Sabbatical" click here.
