A good friend of mine (and by that I mean we're Facebook friends and follow each other on Twitter) wrote about a disease that I am currently recovering from: Empty Prayer Promise, or EPP.
What I used to do is tell people I'll pray for them, and then forget. I meant it when I said it, but I'm so absent-minded that unless I write it down or pray for it right then, I most likely wasn't going to pray for it.
I've recently tried this outlandish idea of praying when I hear a prayer request. The internet has made that super easy since I can read someone's prayer request and just pray by myself ('cuz that can be slightly awkward to stop a conversation to pray). I can finish up my blog readings with a prayer, and I know that those requests were taken up to God at least once.
This has been awesome, and I enjoy praying for other people's needs. However, there's a certain part of the world that isn't getting enough prayer from me: San Diego State University. It really doesn't make sense that I'm not praying for the campus that I was assigned to and want to be at. I can explain it, but it doesn't make sense.
See, I want to be like Joshua. In the latter half of Exodus 17, Amalek is fighting against God's people. Joshua was off on the front lines, in the middle of the action, leading the army to fight for the Lord. I want to be on campus, in the midst of the battle, fighting alongside my team, but I'm more than 300 miles away. Since I can't physically be a part of the battle, I want to retreat.
But Joshua and the army weren't fighting alone. Moses was at the top of the hill, crying out to God. The incredible part about it is that this was more important in their victory than the actual fighting. When Moses' arms were raised, the Israelites were winning. When they would fall, the Israelites started losing. I've pretty much wasted time wishing I could be Joshua that I missed the opportunity to be Moses, an integral part of the battle.
I can't change the past. I can look back and consider what a horrible person I am for not praying. Or I can lift my hands daily to God for SDSU, still striving to be a Joshua, but being content with being a Moses for right now.
As I am weak, I pray that you would be Aaron and Hur, helping Moses when he lost his strength. Ask me about how I'm praying. Facebook me about it. Tweet me about it. Text me about it. Pray for me about it. Now would be a good time for that.
