Image via WikipediaWhat do you do when you hear a siren?
If you are driving, you pull the car over to the side of the road to let the emergency vehicle pass.
But my mom taught me one more thing: When you hear a siren, say a prayer.
Pray for where the ambulance is heading. Pray for safety for the EMTs, law enforcement, or fire fighters. But always remember to pray.
We live in a rural area and sometime hear or see the emergency helicopter fly over transporting someone who needs immediate medical care. Another time a sound or sight triggers prayer.
The Carmelite Sisters in Indianapolis Indiana offer prayer in response to another set of sights and sounds. They pray the news.
Now I have noticed one of my favorite spiritually-related web sites, Spirituality and Practice, is also praying the news:
What a different mindset to have when watching the evening news or reading the paper or when a headline pops up on the computer.
Our Sunday newspaper prints photos on 8-10 mug shots of men and women wanted in NE Indiana for various crimes. For several years now, I look at each of the photos intently into their eyes and lift them up to the Lord.
But I haven’t prayed over the front-page stories of the daily paper or the real estate transactions, the obituaries, or the court proceedings. I imagine many of the divorce and foreclosures notices are in dire need of prayer. Even the wedding and baby announcements could be lifted up with thanksgiving.
I am going to pray the news more often. When I read the paper or listen to the news I am going to also listen with my heart. What jumps out to me? What name or situation causes me to pause? Is there one story or person I feel drawn to for prayer?
I believe in the power of prayer and know God works through our prayers to transform lives.
Lord I don’t know the results of my prayers, but I do know You call me to pray.
Help me to remember to drench whatever is right in front of my eyes into your healing waters.
Lord of compassion, open my heart to see what breaks Your heart and to love what You love
And may I be your hands and feet on earth in reaching others. Amen
Wow Jeanie, I never thought of ALL those things to pray for. I guess that’s what is meant to “pray without ceasing.” There’s always something that needs care. Thanks
Wonderful reminder. I always try to pray when a siren goes by. I figure that I can’t do much else but pray for their healing and salvation. The most important of all!!! :O)
Wonderful reminder. I always try to pray when a siren goes by. I figure that I can’t do much else but pray for their healing and salvation. The most important of all!!! :O)
Yes, I also pray when I hear the sirens and did this with my boys when they were growing up.
And so much in the news to pray for! I need to be better at this one. Thank you for reminding me.
We always prayed for the sirens too when I was growing up. Praying the news is such a great idea. Thank you.
Thank you for the reminder to pray over the news and sirens we hear. I think one of the great joys of heaven will be to see the results our prayers have had.
Just writing this post as made me so much aware of praying for whatever is happening right now, right here. Interesting new way to pray for me.
My best friend’s husband and daughter are volunteer firefighters. In their home, everything stops for prayer when the tones sound.
My mother did not say those words but I learned to do that anyway because I pray. I think we all should do it really…for when we hear noise like that isn’t never good news someone is need of help and the way we can help them is to pray for them
What a great reminder Jean, that the need for prayer surrounds us every single day. I think in many cases with the onslaught of media in our lives, we can become desensitized to the plights of others. If we instead looked at those situations as reason to pray for those involved, just think what our world could be like.
Great post!
Have a Blessed Day!