Prayers

Here in Haiti prayers are loud. They are chaotic. Repetitive. Prayer meetings can be found happening at almost any time in the community centers. Choir practice is singing and praying. School starts with prayer—in the assembly it is more like ours at home with a single leader and when they break into the classrooms it is the full participatory kind.

I went to a planning/brainstorming meeting last week and was told that we need to pray specifics. God knows what we need always. That can be how we know that God has answered our prayer. If we pray big and vague we don’t know what has been answered or how far it might go. When we dream and pray big and specific knowing that we can’t procure what we are asking for on our own, we open the door for God to fill our need and show that we are not alone. It is true that God may not say yes to our prayers but how can we know if we aren’t specific with our ideas. To say, ‘show me where to go next year’ is so open that I can easily miss the way. If I pray, ‘Make it possible to serve next year in Haiti,’ I will have more specific things to look for to see if that is the way. I don’t know that I explained this to my liking, but I don’t know how to put it down and it sometimes makes sense in my head.

I was asked in an email from a volunteer who had been down over the summer, “How can I be praying for you?”  I’ve been asked this before and I always feel awkward with this question. I don’t often ask people to do anything for me. And as for prayers I look at my life and see that I am so blessed that I think that there are others who could really use them, I don’t need the prayers. Now I know that isn’t how it works, but on some level I do feel that way. I don’t need to bother God because I’ve got it good.

Don’t get me wrong. I am so glad that I have that support. People praying for me helps me know that I am loved and supported. It makes the hard days easier and the easy days brighter. I know there is power in prayer-in connection, relationship with others and with God. But it has been on my mind that I want to do more of it. More of the specific prayers. For myself but even more for others.

So, how can I be praying for you? 

I know that the question is broad and it is going out to a broad audience (I don’t know how broad as I don’t know who reads these) but I would really like to know. Leave me a comment or send me an email (jessi.stitt@gmail.com) if you want to let me know.