In My Pocket - 2

Last time I wrote about how my husband said he would like to put our friend Steve on his keyring, because Steve is so handy at doing things. He said he'd just like to have him "in his pocket." Today, I want to tell you about actually having Steve in my pocket.

Our church fellowship which meets each Sunday evening, has the practice of writing the name of each person present on a slip of paper. The slips are placed in a beautiful box our friend Arman's mother brought us from Iran. Each person removes a slip from the box and prays for that particular person throughout the week.

We have two dogs, our beagle Sparrow and our friend Karen's poodle, Lucy, who also attend our fellowship. Their names usually end up on someone's slip, too. Sparrow and Lucy are such faithful church goers, I am sure they pray for each other.

Each person does different things with their slip of paper. Some don't need the slip to remember who to pray for. My husband keeps his in his wallet so everytime he opens it, he sees the name.This week, I am the name on the slip of paper in his wallet.

Usually, I put the name on my To-Do list on my ipod and then throw away the paper slip. This Sunday I drew Steve's name and for some reason, I put the folded piece of paper in my pocket. I found that all through the evening, whenever I would put my hand in my pocket and touch the piece of paper, it was a reminder of Steve and I would be prompted to pray for him. I didn't even need to see the paper -- just touching it was sufficient.

This impressed me so much, that I kept the slip of paper in my pocket the next day when I went to work and it had the same effect. It was as if I was carrying Steve around in my pocket so that I could be reminded of him and pray for him at any time throughout the day.

This reminded me of the High Priests of the children of Israel who would wear the ephod upon which had onyx stones on the shoulders.  These stones were engraved with the names of the tribes of the children of Israel so Aaron could "bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial, " (Exodus 28:12).

More importantly, it made me think of the Lord Jesus who "ever liveth to make intercession" for us, (Hebrew 7:25).  He needs no little slip of paper in His pocket to remember to pray for us. . .it is His great love for us which prompts the prayers without ceasing for His church, His body, His bride.  Instead of wearing an ephod with our names, He bears the wounds in His hands, His feet and His side.  He never fails to pray and His prayers never fail.

You may not have a close fellowship of believers with which to swap slips of paper, but I would encourage you to do a similar thing with those for whom you pray. Try writing the name of just one of them on a slip of paper and tucking it in your pocket. . .carry that person with you every where you go, and see how often you are reminded to lift their name before the Lord. 

  "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ," Galatians 6:2