Can You Do Me a Favor?

My neighbor called me last week to ask a favor. She is my good friend and we do things for each other all the time - pick up kids from school, watch the dogs while they play, borrow potatoes and get the paper when we're out of town - you know, neighborly kinds of things. So I fully anticipated a request for eggs or carpool when I saw her name on the caller ID that morning.

"Good morning!" I said.

"Hi Anna, do you have a minute?" she asked, her voice cracking a bit.

"Sure, what can I do for you?" I replied.

"I wonder if you would pray for me today," she said.

She then proceeded to share with me how worried she was that morning. She was anticipating an encounter associated with her job that she was dreading. She was emotional and vulnerable and needed a friend in that moment. Not just any friend. One that would pray for her.

"I know you are a good Christian woman," she said, "and I need extra help today. Will you pray and ask Him to help me do this?"

Now I share many things with this wonderful Christian woman, but not my faith. We have openly shared our beliefs with each other and even attended events at one anothers' churches. We have doctrinal differences that we have always respected with kindness. But we share a deep belief in a loving Savior who will help us in our times of need.

I have never been more touched at a request than I was that morning. My friend had granted me the priceless gift of trust in that moment, asking me to pray to the God I know and love on behalf of her, a woman I know and love. I listened to her, encouraged her and assured her that I would pray for her. I got off the phone and immediately went to my bedside and knelt in fervent prayer for my faithful, fearful friend. As I did, I felt comfort, peace and assurance that she would be all right.

I saw her at the school that afternoon as we were picking up our children. I knew her meeting had been just prior to that. As she walked over to me, she looked almost joyful.

"It went wonderfully," she shared. "I felt the words just come to me and I knew what to say. I feel so much better. Thank you for praying for me today."

All I could do was tearfully hug and thank her - my sweet neighbor who taught me by humble example what help really is. It's more than a cup of sugar and picking up mail. It's trusting and loving a friend enough to share fear, express concern about a difficult experience and asking that person for a specific, immediate prayer. It's asking someone to lighten the burden, to share the load, to pray in faith.

Since that encounter, I have tried to think if I had ever done such a thing. I certainly have had many moments in my life when I needed the faith and prayers of friends, but for whatever reason I didn't call. I have heard of people's illnesses or difficulties, and said I would pray for them, but rarely have I done so immediately or with such specific fervency as I had that morning. I couldn't think of any good reason why. Maybe I worried that I would feel weak or inadequate in my faith if I had to request the help of others. Maybe I thought asking for help would overly burden my friends. Maybe I thought I simply had to endure my difficulty or worry alone. I have begun to recognize how wrong and selfish I have been by denying others the opportunity to help me, to pray for me. In my friend's simple request for help, she lifted me. She asked for a prayer. She asked for my faith. I'm starting to see what a beautiful request that can be.

So, can you do me a favor?