A Generous Life
Posted by Josephine Llale
Picture taken by Savannah Squyres
“It is more blessed to give than to receive” Acts 20:35 (NIV)
Every time I heard this verse, it was mostly during the tithes and offering messages at church. My understanding of this Scripture was recently challenged.
I was sitting next to a guy in the plane who complained of a stiff neck. Each time he turned to talk to me, the poor guy looked like a robot. We were on a seventeen-hour flight. The stiff neck started about six hours into the flight. For the majority of the journey, I could only offer sympathy. Just as we were about to land, I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to offer him more than sympathy. The Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart that I should pray for him.
I don’t usually pray for strangers—especially in a public place. When the impression came, I did everything I could to disregard it but to no avail. Finally, I threw in the towel. I asked if I could pray for him and he said yes. There was no instant healing, but I could tell from his look after I finished praying that something had shifted.
The Lord reminded me of the Scripture in Hebrews 13:2 (NLT), “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.” Whether that guy was an angel or not, I do not know. My hope is that He recognized how special he is to Jesus because of the willingness of a stranger to pray for him in his time of need..
After all, how many strangers offer to pray for you?
Most of the strangers we meet will not be angels, but if we offer them kindness, a smile, a prayer or a kind word, they may start feeling like angels are near. Let us be His Hands and His Feet to the world that so desperately needs Him.
Every time I heard this verse, it was mostly during the tithes and offering messages at church. My understanding of this Scripture was recently challenged.
I was sitting next to a guy in the plane who complained of a stiff neck. Each time he turned to talk to me, the poor guy looked like a robot. We were on a seventeen-hour flight. The stiff neck started about six hours into the flight. For the majority of the journey, I could only offer sympathy. Just as we were about to land, I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to offer him more than sympathy. The Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart that I should pray for him.
I don’t usually pray for strangers—especially in a public place. When the impression came, I did everything I could to disregard it but to no avail. Finally, I threw in the towel. I asked if I could pray for him and he said yes. There was no instant healing, but I could tell from his look after I finished praying that something had shifted.
The Lord reminded me of the Scripture in Hebrews 13:2 (NLT), “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.” Whether that guy was an angel or not, I do not know. My hope is that He recognized how special he is to Jesus because of the willingness of a stranger to pray for him in his time of need..
After all, how many strangers offer to pray for you?
Most of the strangers we meet will not be angels, but if we offer them kindness, a smile, a prayer or a kind word, they may start feeling like angels are near. Let us be His Hands and His Feet to the world that so desperately needs Him.
