Sunday, November 6, 2011

Or I Could Pray Instead

And the one poor child that saved this world,  
And there's ten million more that probably could,
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them.
                   - Better Days, Goo Goo Dolls


Ok, not the first band or song that comes to mind when you think about spiritual inspiration.  But the other day, in an odd moment when my radio was not tuned in to the Christian Rock channel, this song came on and those lyrics echoed in my head.

I wondered how many things I could change if I said one more prayer a week.  

One more a day.

One more an hour.

The world usually thinks about "change" in terms of money.  Your $50 can help the parish support its retired priests.  $10 can feed the homeless for a week.  Just one dollar can get a child in Africa the medicine he or she needs.

Which inevitably leads to a tug-of-war in my head.  Did I give enough to charity this week?  How many kids could I have fed with the $4 I just spent on that latte?  Who suffered because I didn't donate that one extra dollar?

Well, those song lyrics added a whole new dimension to the game.  While we are all limited financially in how much we can give, the only true barriers to prayer are dedication and time.  

What if I said one more prayer instead of surfing the net?  Instead of watching that football game?  Instead of arguing with someone?  

How many people could I help that way?

How many souls?

God Bless.


P.S.  Just to show you I'm a man of action, instead of proofreading this post, I said I prayer for all of you!

8 comments:

Victor S E Moubarak said...

Praying for you right now.

God bless.

Unknown said...

I love how God works and speaks through even secular things at times.He can even use the Goo Goo Dolls :)
It is true the only obstacle to prayer sometimes is us. It costs nothing but time and the returns are endless.
Thanks and God bless, Michael.

Shirley said...

Bless you too! Pray always, how many times we have read and heard that- and how difficult it is to do.
I have gotten to the point that when I wake up at night, I pray, until I fall asleep. Mostly for the holy souls, and the souls of those in their death agony.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Michael. I said a prayer for you to Michael. I love this post. It's true. Prayer is so powerful. It's more powerful than anything we can do for another person. When I pray I always mention the people who have no one to pray for them for what ever reason.I know God hears my prayers. I would want someone to do that for me. I hope you have a great week Michael. Many blessing to you.

Daily Grace said...

Thank you Michael. I said a prayer for you too!

God bless

Kathryn said...

Michael,
I love how God speaks to us through music. I love the Goo Goo Dolls too!

Saying a prayer for you tonight. Thank you for yours :)

Have a blessed week!

Mary N. said...

My thoughts often run along similar lines as the ones here. I wonder what would happen if I prayed more, gave more, fasted more, etc...
Great post, Michael!

Michael said...

Thank you all for your comments and your prayers!

God Bless