There are times when even the strongest person needs us to pray “hang in there” with them.  Here are some tips on using this prayer method.

How to do this prayer practice:

1.  Be aware that no one can be positive all the time.

My mother-in-law was a very positive upbeat lady.  She always enjoyed life as it was presented and she never seemed to be bothered by the disappointments life many times gave her.  That was the reason the following incident was so out of character for her.

2.  Be alert to the fact that bad news sometimes catches us when we’re alone.

My mother-in-law was in a hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, with heart problems and we all thought she would probably need another by-pass operation; she already had one by-pass operation in Tallahassee, Florida some years back.  My wife and her sister and brother-in-law were already with her in Asheville.  I was to come up the next day.

The girls had waited all day for a doctor to come in for them to talk to about Mom’s condition and no doctor came.  Finally, they went to get something to eat.  No sooner had they left than the doctor came to talk to Mom.  She was alone.

3.  Let the Holy Spirit put your voice in the right place at the right time.

I was making arrangements to leave and happened to call her room just after the doctor had left.  She answered the phone.  I asked how she was and she said, “Billy, it really looks bad for me.  They don’t think I am going to make it.”

4.  Share words of encouragement, reminding the person of how God has helped them through difficulties in the past.

This “I don’t think I am going to make it” statement was a shock to me because I had never seen or heard her so low.  I said, “Come on Mom, you have gotten out of worse situations than this.  You know that you have a guardian angel that has been watching out for you your entire life.  Don’t give up.  You are going to be alright.”

5.  Drop everything and pray with the person immediately.

I asked her if she would like me to pray for her.  She said she would and I prayed for her on my car phone in a Subway parking lot in Tallahassee, Florida.  I told her to hang in there (another of her favorite expressions) and I would be up the next day.

6.  Pray “Hang in there.”

When you pray “hang in there” it has a very calming effect because it sounds doable.  We don’t take it upon ourselves to resolve or solve the problem, we simply ask for the strength to get through the next few hours or days.

7.  Trust that God has heard your prayer.

The prayer was answered and she came through the operation “smelling like a rose!”  God gave me such a peace about her situation as I talked to her and prayed for her.  I had the strangest peace about the whole situation.  I did not doubt for a moment that she was going to come through the crisis, “smelling like a rose,” as she would say.  That prayer helped the two of us face her difficult situation with a peace that passes understanding.

Copyright Bill Roland 2011