Those awkward moments where we say ‘I’ll pray for you’ … and then don’t

We’ve all made this mistake…but in 2024 let’s pledge to do better, says Jeff Lucas

Lately, I’ve been pondering how often Christians say things we don’t really mean. Living mostly in America, I’m often greeted with: “How ya doin’?” When first encountering this enquiry, I thought the person actually wanted  to know how I was doing. I didn’t know that a standard reply of: “I’m fine” was expected. 

Another conversational tidbit exchanged between believers is the promise we make when we hear someone is not  fine. “I’m praying for you,” we pledge. But then, in the blur of life, we totally forget. It’s awkward when someone later reports that God has answered our prayer and thanks us for our intercession. Oops.